Kamal Ghorui
The Prime Minister appointed Varun Chandra as the Special Envoy to the United States on Trade and Investment.In his role as Special Envoy, Chandra will lead work across govt to advance the UK’s economic interests in the United States and drive forward trade and investment opportunities in both countries.The US is the UK’s largest single-country trading partner and bilateral UK–US trade was worth over £330 billion in the year up to summer 2025.During the US State Visit in September alone, the govt saw record levels of investment – £150 billion – from US companies in the UK, creating 7,600 jobs across the country.
Who is Varun Chandra?
Varun Chandra joined Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s administration in July 2024 as chief adviser on business, investment and trade, and his envoy role will focus on advancing trade and investment ties with the United States, including engagement with US business leaders and trade dialogue mechanisms, while coordinating across key UK departments.In that role, he sat on the Office for Investment board, chaired the Global Talent Taskforce, and was involved in shaping UK-US trade discussions.Chandra was born in November 1984 in South Shields, northeast England, to Indian immigrant parents from the state of Bihar. His father was a doctor recruited by the National Health Service, according to New India Abroad.He attended the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle, on a scholarship before studying philosophy, politics, and economics at Magdalen College, University of Oxford, from 2003 to 2006. While at Oxford, he served as president of the Junior Common Room and participated in several college sports.He began his career in investment banking, training at Lehman Brothers in London shortly before the firm’s collapse in 2008. He later advised former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, contributing to the establishment of a regulated advisory firm focused on political economy and cross-border transactions, and also worked on Labour Party leadership efforts and economic advisory roles.Chandra went on to found and chair a venture capital firm operating between Silicon Valley and the UK, lead a family-office-backed merchant bank, and help establish two companies. From 2013 to 2014, he joined Hakluyt & Co., a strategic advisory firm, rising to global managing partner from 2019 to 2024.During this period, he advised multinational corporations and investors on complex commercial and geopolitical issues across the US, Europe, and Asia, and later helped establish Hakluyt Capital as a founding partner and chair.Alongside his govt work, Chandra was active in philanthropy and education, including founding the associate board of The Opportunity Network and serving on boards across education, technology, and agriculture.
