MUMBAI: CNN International has announced Nikhil Kumar as the New Delhi bureau chief. Based in the country’s capital, Kumar will be responsible for the strategic planning of the network’s multi-platform news coverage from India and the region.

“I am delighted to announce the appointment of Nikhil Kumar as we reaffirm our deep commitment to India,” said CNN International SVP and managing editor Ellana Lee. “Nikhil brings with him a deep understanding of this dynamic and diverse region and his expertise will be invaluable in this critical leadership role as we continue to strengthen our editorial operations in the country,” Lee said.

Kumar was most recently the South Asia bureau chief for Time magazine based in New Delhi. Before moving to India in early 2015 he was a senior editor based in New York, editing and managing Time's international editions, as well as foreign coverage in Time's U.S. edition. Before joining Time, Kumar was New York correspondent for both The Independent newspaper and the London Evening Standard.

Kumar has reported on several key regional and global political, economic and social stories including the devastating Nepal earthquake in 2015, the global financial crisis, the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis and the Boston marathon bombings. He has also interviewed leaders from the region including the Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, Afghanistan’s president Ashraf Ghani, Sri Lanka's president Maithripala Sirisena and Bangladesh’s prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Kumar graduated with honors in philosophy from University College London. He starts his new position with CNN International in September.