Dr. S. Jaishankar is a diplomat-turned-politician who has served as India’s External Affairs Minister since 2019. He is a member of the BJP and a member of parliament representing Gujarat in the Rajya Sabha.
Dr. Jaishankar had earlier served as India’s foreign secretary between 2015-2018, after serving as ambassador to the United States, China, and the Czech Republic and as high commissioner to Singapore. He is well known for his assertive speeches and comments in the international media, such as the one when he addressed the UN, advocating for India’s permanent membership in the UNSC. Jaishankar is said to have played a major role in negotiating the India-US civil nuclear agreement. He has authored over three books, including ‘The India Way’ and ‘Why Bharat Matters’.
In 2019, he was conferred with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour in the country.
Global diplomacy makes large demands on the time of senior personages, so it makes sense for EAM to have his own travel schedule. However, for an event like a G 20 summit, with a large number of bilateral meetings as well, the presence of EAM can be very valuable. Given the essentially economic nature of the multilateral summit, either FM or at least Commerce Minister could be part of the delegation.