S Jaishankar: A diplomat for all seasons and all situations

New Delhi: Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar is as erudite as they come, even by the exalted standards of Indian Foreign Service. His junior colleagues and mentors vouch for his "realistic view of foreign policy" among other skills. This was on display on several occasions since 2022 when he defended India's position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Simultaneously, he advanced India's interests with the Quad to balance expansionist tendencies in the Indo-Pacific region. The seasoned diplomat has been categorical that Sino-Indian ties cannot be normalised while tensions continue along the border.

But in a power-charged New Delhi, what has proved most handy for this diplomat is altogether a different trait. Jaishankar was the country's longest-serving foreign secretary in recent years and helped craft much of PM Modi's foreign policy.

As foreign secretary, he emerged as Modi's unofficial foreign policy adviser. His strength comes from his vast reading, articulation, knowledge of the subject and realistic view of foreign policy. He has focused on pushing economic diplomacy that could bring India the much-needed technology and capital.


Jaishankar was also a key member of the team that worked on the nuclear deal with the US. The deal, initiated in 2005, took several years to craft, and was signed by the UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh in 2008. Besides being Ambassador to the USA, he was also envoy in the Czech Republic.

A 1977 batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service, Jaishankar was reportedly former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's first choice in 2013 to replace Ranjan Mathai as foreign secretary. But the then PM was reportedly advised by senior leaders of the Congress to go by seniority, and Sujata Singh was appointed.

Earlier in his career, Jaishankar had been posted in Moscow and several other European capitals, apart from Tokyo. He also served as First Secretary and Political Advisor to the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka.

For a year, he was the Tata Group's president of Global Corporate Affairs.