Elizabeth Coleburn

Some Lesser Known Facts About Elizabeth Coleburn

• After completing her formal education, Elizabeth Coleburn began working for Oxford Policy Management in the United Kingdom, which focuses on climate issues.

• She worked in the European Parliament on the 2009 EU Climate Change Package negotiations.

• Elizabeth Coleburn was a researcher at the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and studied EU development cooperation.

• She has also worked in the US Senate, the UN Secretariat, and with NGOs in Tanzania and South Africa.

• Indian Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi met Elizabeth Coleburn during their internship at the UN Sanctions Committee in 2010.

• Elizabeth Coleburn joined the Climate Development and Knowledge Network (CDKN) in March 2011 and started working as a project manager in its Asia team.

• Her work involved coordinating country programs in India and Nepal.

• She helped policymakers create and implement climate policies.

• Elizabeth Coleburn also managed relationships with partners.

• Her role included sharing CDKN’s learning from the region through knowledge management and public affairs.

• During this time, Elizabeth Coleburn was mostly based in Pakistan.

• Gaurav Gogoi married her in 2013 in New Delhi after convincing his family, who were earlier worried about the marriage.

  

• Elizabeth Coleburn then began working at the non-profit organization ‘Lead India’ in New Delhi.

• In February 2025, she attracted controversy when BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia accused Elizabeth Coleburn of having links with Pakistan’s ISI.

• Gaurav Bhatia said that Elizabeth Coleburn had ties with Pakistan’s intelligence agency while working for the Climate and Knowledge Development Network (CDKN) in Islamabad.

• He claimed that she worked under Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, a former advisor to Pakistan’s Planning Commission.

• The issue gained more attention when Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa made an indirect remark about her British citizenship.

• Her husband, Gaurav Gogoi, dismissed the claims as ‘laughable’ during a media conversation. He responded by referencing an Indian film. He said,
  

  If Salman Khan’s wife can be an ISI agent in Tiger Zinda Hai, then I must be a RAW agent too. I don’t mind if a family against whom there are various cases and several allegations makes accusations against me.”

• Reportedly, in 2025, Elizabeth Coleburn was holding the British citizenship even after living in India for 12 years.

• According to the BJP, she has also worked with US Senator Tom Udall.

• Udall had close ties with George Soros and was a member of the US Senate Intelligence Committee. Udall supported a pro-Pakistan stance throughout his career.

• Elizabeth Coleburn likes learning and singing songs in her free time.