Tata Sons appoints ex-foreign secretary S Jaishankar as global corporate affairs head

Former Indian foreign secretary Dr S Jaishankar will be taking over as the Tata Group's president in global corporate affairs, Tata Sons announced on Monday.

In his new role, Jaishankar will be responsible for the group's global corporate affairs and international strategy development, overseeing Tata Sons' international offices; and will work with the group companies to help them strengthen their business presence and positioning in their respective global geographies, a release said. He will be reporting to N Chandrasekaran, executive chairman of Tata Sons.

“I am delighted to welcome Dr Jaishankar to the Tata Group. His extensive experience and knowledge on international affairs will be very valuable to the group as we work to reinforce our brand and leadership globally,” Chandrasekaran said.


Jaishankar has served as the Indian foreign secretary from January 2015 to January 2018. He had joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1977 and has held key roles during his career including stints as high commissioner to Singapore as well as ambassador to China and the US. He has also been instrumental in negotiating the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement.

“The Tata Group is an iconic institution known for its value-based leadership as well as India’s most respected brand globally. I look forward to being part of the Tata group and working with key stakeholders to make an impact,” Jaishankar said in a release.

A graduate of St Stephen’s College at the University of Delhi, he alsp has an MA in Political Science and an MPhil. and PhD in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).