US President George W Bush on Thursday nominated David Campbell Mulford as the next ambassador to India.

The post has been vacant since Robert Blackwill moved to the National Security Council as strategic adviser to Condoleezza Rice.

India Abroad, a community newspaper for the Indian-American community, owned by rediff.com, had reported in August that Mulford might replace Blackwill.

The US senate will now have to approve Mulford's nomination, which was announced by the White House.

Mulford is chairman international and member of the executive board of Credit Suisse First Boston in London.

He previously served as chairman and chief executive officer (Europe) for the same corporation.

Prior to that, Mulford was undersecretary, international affairs, treasury department.

Mulford earned his bachelor's degree from Lawrence University, master's from Boston University and Ph D from Oxford University.