Ambassador Ajai Malhotra has a Master of Arts degree in Economics from The Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi.

He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1977.

His initial assignments were with the High Commission of India, Nairobi (1979-1982), the Embassy of India, Moscow (1982-1985), and the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, Geneva (1985-1989), where he also represented India on the three member ILO Committee on Freedom of Association.

After serving as Deputy Secretary and then Director at the UN Division in the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi (1989-1993), he was posted for a second time to the Embassy of India, Moscow (1993–1996), returning as Director/Joint Secretary, in the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi (1996–1999). He was thereafter assigned as Minister in the Embassy of India, Washington D.C. (1999–2003). During 2002-2003, Ambassador Malhotra was also Chairman of the International Cotton Advisory Committee.

He was Ambassador of India to Romania, Albania and Moldova, resident in Bucharest (2003-2005). Before taking up his present assignment he served as the Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, New York (2005-2009).

Ambassador Malhotra assumed charge at the Embassy of India to Kuwait on 8 March 2009. He presented his credentials as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of India to Kuwait, to His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, on ­­24 March 2009.

He has published articles on topics such as environment and sustainable development, biological diversity, climate change, the rights of future generations, and international law. In 2004 he was awarded a Doctorate [Honoris Causa] by the Vasile Goldis Western University of Arad, Romania.

He is married, and has one daughter and one son.