Venkatesan Ashok is consulate general of India in San Francisco.  

Ashok has held diplomatic assignments in Hong Kong, Malaysia, China, Austria and Sri Lanka, apart from postings in the Ministry of External Affairs in different capacities. He was director of external relations in the Department of Atomic Energy from 1995 to 1998. Following that position, he was appointed as India’s alternate governor and alternate permanent representative in the International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna. 

He was the division chief of Central Europe in the Ministry of External Affairs prior to his assignment as ambassador of India to the Republic of Zimbabwe between March 2008 and June 2011. Ashok served as ambassador of India to the Czech Republic from August 2011 to September 2014. He was named consul general of India in San Francisco in November 2014.

Ashok speaks Chinese, English and several Indian languages. He has authored a book, Dasavatara, apart from several technical articles. 

He graduated in civil engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi and joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1982.