Harsh Vardhan Shringla, who was until recently the chief coordinator of India’s G20 presidency, is creating a major buzz in the region through his impactful interventions that have created jobs for youths, brought in international collaborations and helped raise critical issues in the power corridors of Delhi within a short time.

“I am basically driven by the idea to give back to my place…. I am a doer and I do not believe in lip service,” said Shringla, 61.

The former foreign secretary and India’s ambassador to the US had other prestigious assignments also. He has his roots in Darjeeling.

Shringla’s Darjeeling Welfare Society (DWS) recently organised a two-day career fair here and 270 youths from the hills were offered jobs by top-notch companies such as the Taj Group, TATA Trent, Thomas Cook, Intercontinental Hotels and Birdy’s.

“I intend to hold similar recruitment camps in Siliguri and Kalimpong, too,” said Shringla.

The career diplomat also brought board members of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, who are top CEOs in the US, to Darjeeling. They held meetings not just with representatives from Darjeeling but also from Assam and Sikkim on ways to tap the potential of the region.

Shringla prepared ground for philanthropic support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. After a ground visit, the foundation assigned Grant Thompson to assess opportunities around tea garden workers’ supplemental income and support to small and marginal farmers.

“We are looking at supplementing incomes in tea gardens by providing market access and increasing the remunerative value of local products,” said Shringla.

The team is also looking at dealing with waste management and disposal in urban areas and will compile a compendium of all agriproducts in the region. The Grant Thompson team will be visiting the region from January 29.

Shringla has been visiting every nook and corner of the region and is focusing on closed tea gardens. “We want to work in Panighatta tea garden which has been closed since 2015 and things are not in the best of shape there,” said Shringla.

The former diplomat also raised the issue of the tea industry with Piyush Goyal, Union minister of commerce and industry, on January 5.

“I have been working in Darjeeling since 2014 but it gathered steam since my return,” said Shringla, who has houses both in Darjeeling and Siliguri.

Several people in Darjeeling said he earned goodwill in the area following the pivotal role he had played in bringing in Darjeeling residents from the Gulf countries when they were stranded during the Covid-19 pandemic.

At the moment, many in Darjeeling are rooting for Shringla to represent them in Parliament given his vast experience as a diplomat. Shringla is being invited to events across the region almost every day, right from conclaves on startups to seminars in universities and meetings with professionals from the region.

Asked if he harboured any political ambitions, Shringla said: “I will go by the wishes of the people. I am listening to their voices and sentiments.”

Many agree that Shringla has started getting a “terrific response” which can be testified even during his early morning walks and addas in localities.

“Sentiments are important, our people are emotive. As a Gorkha myself, I identify with these issues,” said Shringla.