Smt. Nutan Kapoor Mahawar joined the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) in 1996. During her over 28 years of service, she has worked on various assignments both in New Delhi and abroad. At Headquarters, she has served as Under Secretary in the Disarmament & International Security Affairs Division (2001-2005), as Director in the Europe West Division (2012-2014) and as Joint Secretary in the Parliament & Coordination Division (2014-2019).
She has held positions in Embassy of India, Moscow as Second Secretary (Political) (1998-2001), in Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva as First Secretary (Economic) (2005-2008) and Counsellor (Information) & Director (Jawaharlal Nehru Cultural Centre) (2009-2011), Embassy of India, Moscow. Since January 2019, Smt. Mahawar is Joint Secretary and, thereafter, Additional Secretary in the Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi. 
Smt. Mahawar is a post-graduate in Economics. Her spouse Shri Munu Mahawar is also a 1996 Batch IFS Officer and is presently High Commissioner of India to Maldives. She has a son and a daughter.