S. Jaishankar

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (born 9 January 1955) is an Indian politician and retired diplomat who currently serves as the minister of external affairs since 2019. He is the longest-serving minister for external affairs to hold the portfolio exclusively. A member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he is a member of parliament in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian parliament. He previously served as the foreign secretary of India from 2015 to 2018. In January 2019, he was conferred with the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honour.

Jaishankar was born in 1955 in Delhi, in a Tamil Hindu family. He did his schooling in Delhi, and Bengaluru, and completed his bachelor's degree in chemistry from St. Stephen's College, Delhi. He obtained his master's degree in political science and an M.Phil. and PhD in international relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Jaishankar joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1977, and during a diplomatic career spanning over 38 years, served in different capacities in India and abroad. He served as an ambassador to the Czech Republic (2001–2004), high commissioner to Singapore (2007–2009), ambassador to China (2009–2013), and the United States (2014–2015). From 2004 to 2007, he was the joint secretary (Americas) at the ministry of external affairs, and was one of the officials involved in the negotiation of the India–United States Civil Nuclear Agreement. After serving as the foreign secretary, he retired in 2018.

On retirement, Jaishankar served as president of global corporate affairs with the Tata Group briefly from 2018 to early 2019. In May 2019, he was sworn in as a cabinet minister in the second Modi ministry. He is first former foreign secretary of India to head the ministry of external affairs as cabinet minister. In June 2024, he was re-appointed to the post in the third Modi ministry after the BJP-led coalition won the 2024 Indian general elections.