Ugo Astuto entered the Italian Diplomatic Service in 1991. His career in the Italian Foreign Service spans experience in the Embassies in Nairobi and London (including as alternate Director for Italy in the EBRD-European Bank for Reconstruction and Development), in the Permanent Representation in Brussels and in the Embassy in Delhi, where he served as Deputy Head of Mission.

From February 2013 until July 2016, he was seconded to the European External Action Service (EEAS) in Brussels, first as Director for South and Southeast Asia and then as Deputy Managing Director/Director for Asia and the Pacific. From July 2016 to September 2019, he was the Principal Director for Asia in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome.

He is the Ambassador of the European Union to India since October 2019.