S. Jaishankar
Minister of External Affairs of India since 2019
- Age
- 71 yrs
- Birthday in 75 days
- Works listed
- 2
- Book
- Honours
- 1
- Most recent 2019
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Dr S. Jaishankar is India’s Minister of External Affairs. A career diplomat for four decades, he served as ambassador to China and the United States and as Foreign Secretary before entering politics in 2019.
Biography
Diplomat
Jaishankar is the son of the strategic analyst K. Subrahmanyam. He studied at St Stephen’s College, Delhi, and earned an MA, MPhil and PhD in international relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University. Joining the Indian Foreign Service in 1977, he served in Moscow, Washington, Tokyo and Budapest, and helped negotiate the India–US civil nuclear agreement.
He was ambassador to the Czech Republic, High Commissioner to Singapore, and ambassador to China (2009–13) and the United States (2013–15), before serving as Foreign Secretary from 2015 to 2018.
Foreign minister
After a year at Tata Sons, Jaishankar was appointed External Affairs Minister in May 2019, an unusual move for a retired civil servant; he joined the BJP and was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat. He has articulated a foreign policy of strategic autonomy and multi-alignment, managed relations through the border crisis with China and the war in Ukraine, and oversaw India’s G20 presidency in 2023.
Author
He has written The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World (2020) and Why Bharat Matters (2024), and is known for sharp, quotable responses in international forums.
Diplomatic career highlights
As joint secretary for the Americas in the mid-2000s, Jaishankar was a key negotiator of the India–US civil nuclear agreement. As ambassador to China he handled the 2013 Depsang standoff, and as Foreign Secretary he managed the Doklam crisis of 2017. He also oversaw Modi’s early visits to the United States as ambassador.
Family and writing
Jaishankar is the son of K. Subrahmanyam, one of India’s best-known strategic analysts. He holds a PhD from Jawaharlal Nehru University on nuclear diplomacy and is married to Kyoko Jaishankar, who is Japanese. He has written The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World (2020) and Why Bharat Matters (2024).
Timeline
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1955
Born in New Delhi, India
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1977
Joins the Indian Foreign Service
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2004
Joint Secretary (Americas)
Helps negotiate the India–US nuclear deal.
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2007
High Commissioner to Singapore
Until 2009.
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2009
Ambassador to China
Until 2013.
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2013
Ambassador to the United States
Until January 2015.
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2015
Foreign Secretary
Until January 2018.
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2017
Handles the Doklam standoff as Foreign Secretary
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2019
External Affairs Minister
Elected to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat.
-
2022
Operation Ganga evacuates Indians from Ukraine
-
2024
Re-appointed External Affairs Minister
In the third Modi government.
Notable works
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2020
The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World Book
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2024
Why Bharat Matters Book
Awards and honours
-
Padma Shri
2019 · For civil service.
Did you know?
-
1
He is the first former Foreign Secretary to become External Affairs Minister.
-
2
He speaks Russian, Japanese and some Hungarian, besides Hindi, Tamil and English.
-
3
His father was one of India’s best-known strategic thinkers.
-
4
He holds a PhD in nuclear diplomacy.
-
5
He was India’s ambassador to both China and the United States.
Gallery
Connections
Related people
Frequently asked
Who is S. Jaishankar?
Dr S. Jaishankar is India’s Minister of External Affairs. A career diplomat for four decades, he served as ambassador to China and the United States and as Foreign Secretary before entering politics in 2019.
How old is S. Jaishankar?
S. Jaishankar is 71 years old, born on 9 January 1955 in New Delhi, India.
Where is S. Jaishankar from?
S. Jaishankar was born in New Delhi, India.
What is S. Jaishankar known for?
S. Jaishankar is best known for Career diplomat turned foreign minister; author of The India Way.
What awards has S. Jaishankar received?
Notable honours include Padma Shri (2019).
Who is S. Jaishankar married to?
Spouse: Kyoko Jaishankar.
References
- S. Jaishankar — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
- S. Jaishankar — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 26 October 2026.
- S. Jaishankar (Q16186720) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editors; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal
- First published 26 October 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“S. Jaishankar.” TrackFame, last updated 26 October 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/s-jaishankar
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