Richard Verma was announced as the new U.S. ambassador to India on Thursday, according to a statement from the White House. Verma, a former State Department official, will be the first Indian American to hold the post once he is confirmed by Congress. He has been associated with the Obama Administration since 2008, serving as Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs under Hillary Clinton from 2009 to 2011, and is currently a senior counselor at law firm Steptoe & Johnson as well as the Albright Stonebridge Group. Verma’s appointment comes just before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit on Sept.