Who Is Ricky Gill? Indian-Origin Trump Staffer Awarded For India-Pakistan Ceasefire

Last Updated:December 30, 2025, 11:46 IST

Ricky Gill received the NSC Distinguished Action Award for his alleged role in India-Pakistan ceasefire talks, sparking debate over US mediation claims rejected by India.

Ricky Gill shared a picture with Donald Trump on X, saying the latter is "putting America first." Image: X/@RickyGillCA)

Ranjit ‘Ricky’ Singh Gill, a 37-year-old Indian-origin lawyer and senior adviser to US President Donald Trump, has recently gained attention after being awarded the Security Council’s Distinguished Action Award for his alleged role in negotiating the ceasefire between India and Pakistan following Operation Sindoor.

The recognition, presented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has sparked discussion in India, with many viewing it as a way for Trump to promote his long-standing claim that he mediated the May 10 truce—an assertion India has repeatedly rejected.

“Congratulations to Ricky Gill⁩ for recognition by ⁦⁦Marco Rubio⁩ with the NSC Distinguished Action Award for his role in the India-Pakistan ceasefire negotiations. Ricky is a talented diplomat who served with me in Donald Trump’s 1st Admin," Robert C. O’Brien, who served as the 27th Assistant to the President for Security Affairs, tweeted on December 25.

Gill, born in Lodi, New Jersey, to Punjabi Sikh immigrant physicians Jasbir and Param Gill, has been a prominent figure in US foreign policy circles. Known for his closeness to Trump, he serves as senior director for South and Central Asia at the NSC and as special assistant to the President. In his second term, Gill has overseen the sensitive India-Pakistan, Afghanistan, and broader South and Central Asia portfolio.

Previously, he also directed Russia and European Energy Security at the NSC and played a role in the relocation of the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem in 2018—a move that drew global attention and sparked a controversy.

Gill’s career in public service began unusually early at age 17, when he was appointed by then-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as the sole student member of the state board of education. He later earned a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and Affairs and a law degree from the University of California, Berkeley. Between his government stints, he worked as a policy advisor for TC Energy, which owns the Keystone XL pipeline.

Under Trump’s second term, Gill has been actively involved in diplomatic initiatives, including a visit to India in August amid tensions over trade agreements and tariffs, and discussions on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). However, details about his specific role in the India-Pakistan ceasefire remain unclear, and the award has generated considerable debate among experts.

Former Indian foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal described the recognition as “puzzling," suggesting it might be a way for the US to claim credit for the ceasefire, despite India’s firm rejection of any third-party mediation.

“Now, it is a middle-level officer in the NSC who could knock together the Indian and Pakistani heads. Can’t see any purpose being served except to irritate India in propagating such a fictitious claim when India has denied any US role in the ceasefire, even at Trump’s level," Sibal tweeted.

Meanwhile, retired civil servant NN Ojha questioned whether the award was intended to supersede India’s official stance. “Is it US declaration to supersede Modi govt’s claim that there was no third country intervention for ceasefire?"

Gill, who once ran unsuccessfully for the US House of Representatives from California in 2012, has now firmly established himself as a key player in US foreign policy, particularly in South and Central Asia, while continuing to navigate the complex dynamics of Indo-US relations.

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