5 facts about the new US ambassador to S’pore Dr Anjani Sinha, an India-born surgeon

Who is Dr Anjani Sinha, the new US ambassador to Singapore?

On Tuesday (7 Oct), the United States (US) Senate confirmed Dr Anjani Sinha as the new US ambassador to Singapore.

This comes six months after he was nominated for the role by US President Donald Trump in March.

Over 100 others were confirmed with Dr Sinha in the en bloc vote, resulting in the confirmation of the largest group of nominees to date.

Here’s what you need to know about the new US envoy to Singapore who is tasked with maintaining diplomatic relations between the two countries.

1. Dr Anjani Sinha is an India-born resident of Trump’s home state of Florida

According to reports, Dr Anjani Sinha was born in Bihar, India, and is believed to be in his 70s.

In 1979, he and his wife, Kuntala “Kiki” Sinha, a retired anaesthesiologist and former faculty member of New York University (NYU), migrated to the US as a newly married couple.

The pair has a daughter, son, and three grandchildren.

Reports state Dr Sinha is from President Trump’s home state, Florida, though several Republicans who are well-versed in the state’s politics said they have never heard of him, according to The Straits Times (ST).

However, the India-born orthopaedic surgeon is believed to be close to the Trump family.

According to The Edge Singapore, he and the president were brought together by their shared love for golf, and the new ambassador is believed to be a member of the Trump International Golf Club in South Florida.

The news outlet also reported that Dr Sinha maintains strong cultural familial ties in India and the Indo-Pacific region.

He is related to Yashwant Sinha, a former Indian finance minister who ran as the Opposition’s candidate in India’s 2022 presidential election.

2. He is a surgeon who specialises in orthopaedics and sports

Dr Sinha’s Certificate of Competency on the US Department of State website describes the new diplomat as “a preeminent surgeon on the East Coast specialising in orthopedics and sports medicine”.

According to Times of India, he obtained his medical degree from Mahatma Gandhi Medical College in Pondicherry, India, before completing his residency at Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi.

After emigrating, he interned at top institutions in the US, including Mount Sinai Medical Center and Long Island Jewish Medical Center.

His prominence on the East Coast is reportedly evidenced by the several key-man orthopaedic and surgical practices he built across eight locations in New York and his work as a senior surgical consultant in Florida.

3. Dr Sinha made donations to Trump’s 2024 campaign

Also according to his Certificate of Competency, Dr Sinha is a “distinguished and lifelong philanthropist in both the US and India”.

He and his wife have allegedly donated generously to various higher education institutions in New Hampshire and New York, as well as their medical school alma maters in India.

There is no available evidence online on the couple’s aforementioned philanthropic works, though Dr Sinha has reportedly donated to candidates, parties, and Political Action Committees (PACs) since 1989, including to the Trump 2024 campaign.

According to the non-profit, non-partisan research group OpenSecrets, Dr Sinha contributed USD3,300 (S$4,300) to Donald Trump.

While this is a small sum compared to other ambassadorial nominees’ donations of more than USD2 million (S$2.6 million), a Washington-based politician suggested he “could have contributed more to super political action committees, which will not list his name”.

4. His business expertise allegedly qualifies him to be the US envoy to Singapore

Dr Sinha is also said to be “uniquely positioned” to relate to key stakeholders, having “native respect for both American and Asian values” and “deep social and cultural ties to the Indo-Pacific region”.

Additionally, he is equipped with business expertise and an appreciation for Singapore as a financial hub, making him “well qualified to serve as US Ambassador to Singapore”.

In particular, Dr Sinha’s extensive experience reportedly includes working with medical, legal, and business operators across the healthcare sector.

However, ST reported that there is no track record of Dr Sinha having been an entrepreneur.

In his opening statement during the Senate confirmation hearing for ambassadors on 9 July 2025, he said:

If confirmed, my duty will be to advance and implement the priorities and policies of the United States, and to promote U.S. interests. In Singapore, I will look to expand and deepen our defense and security cooperation, economic and trade relationship, and people-to-people ties.

“I do not take lightly my obligation to similarly protect American citizens in Singapore, including our mission personnel,” he added.

5. He was criticised in the US Senate for ‘lack of understanding’ of the role

Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth previously said she believed Dr Sinha is not particularly qualified for the role.

She expressed concern that his “lack of understanding may even inadvertently cause friction” in the “critical relationship” between US and Singapore.

During the Senate confirmation hearing, she asked Dr Sinha several questions, which he answered incorrectly or inadequately.

Senator Duckworth also criticised Dr Sinha’s answer to her question regarding the US Navy’s work with Singapore, saying he had not done his “homework”.

“I just feel that you are not taking this seriously, and you think this is a glamour posting that you’re going to live a nice life in Singapore,” she stressed, adding that Singapore is too important to the US, ASEAN, and the entire region.

In a Facebook post the following day, 10 July, Senator Duckworth also wrote:

Dr. Anjani Sinha is deeply unprepared to effectively lead our nation’s diplomatic mission in Singapore. He will not have my vote.

Controversial Trump nominee becomes US envoy to Singapore

While some may question whether Dr Sinha is indeed suitable for the role, his posting in the country is imminent.

Netizens online have since expressed their doubts, with some speculating that diplomatic ties between Singapore and US may worsen with his appointment.

One thing is for sure, Singaporeans who closely follow diplomatic relations will be keep a watchful eye on the diplomat during his term.

Also read: Trump’s nominee for ambassador to S’pore grilled in US Senate hearing, gets trade numbers wrong

Trump’s nominee for ambassador to S’pore grilled in US Senate hearing, gets trade numbers wrong

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Featured image adapted from Sen. Tammy Duckworth on YouTube.