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.
Whatever the formal designations and protocol, there are two very different facets to the NSA’s role. One sees the rest of the world as a huge threat, the other as an immense opportunity. With some oversimplification, one belongs to someone with a background in intelligence , the other to a professional diplomat. Given how much power and influence have aggregated to the post in recent years, there is enough work for two outstanding professionals to share the responsibility. A lot more meat needs to be put on the bone of India’s economic engagement with the rest of the world. Foreign trade, investment flows, both portfolio and conventional FDI. India should once again sparkle in the eyes of the world.