Dr. Lalit Mansingh (born April 29, 1941) is the former Indian diplomat, the Foreign Secretary of India, 1999-2000, and Indian Ambassador to the United States on March 15, 2001. Prior to this he had remained Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom

Lalit Mansingh was born and brought up in Orissa, Lalit Mansingh graduated with honours in History and obtained his Master Degree in Political Science, receiving University’s Gold Medals for securing the top position in both subjects. He was a Research scholar in American Studies at the School of International Studies in New Delhi, University of Delhi.

Lalit Mansingh has remained a lecturer in the Post-Graduate Department of Political Science, Utkal University in Bhubaneswar, Orissa. He joined Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, in June, 1963. He became High Commissioner to Nigeria (1993-95) and Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (1980-83) and in Nigeria with concurrent accreditation to Benin, Chad and Cameroon. Apart from that he also served in various diplomatic capacities in Geneva, Afghanistan and Belgium.

He was Deputy Chief of Mission in Washington, DC, 1989-92 and remained the Dean of Foreign Service Institute, India, from 1995 to 1996., apart from serving as Director-General of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs . Presently he is in the Executive Committee of Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, a defence, foreign policy and security studies think tank in India, Professor Emeritus at the Foreign Service Institute of India; , member of the Governing Board of Development Alternatives; member of the India Council for Sustainable Development; and president of the World Cultural Forum, India. He is also diplomatic advisor to the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and chairman for the FICCI India-U.S. Policy Group; and International Advisory Council Member in APCO Worldwide and Bonita Trust

He was awarded the Kharavela Samman (Kharavela Award) by Orissa Governor in Feb, 2009