Office · Government of India
External Affairs Minister
The Union Cabinet Minister responsible for the Ministry of External Affairs. Dr. S. Jaishankar has held the office since 30 May 2019 and was sworn in again for a second term on 9 June 2024.
In office 30 May 2019 –Re-sworn 9 Jun 2024Portfolio retained 10 Jun 2024
MEA — EAM profileAkashvani News — oath, 9 Jun 2024Akashvani News — portfolios
The office
What the office involves
The Ministry of External Affairs “is headed by the Minister of External Affairs … who is assisted by the Minister(s) of State.”
Heads the Ministry
The Minister leads a Ministry that runs more than 200 diplomatic missions abroad and serves as the cadre-controlling authority for the Indian Foreign Service. Those figures are the Ministry's own.
Answers to Parliament
The Ministry answers parliamentary questions in both Houses and publishes the answers in its Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha archives. The Minister also makes statements to the Houses. See Parliament.
Represents India
The Minister represents India at foreign-minister-level meetings, including those of the Quad, the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers and the UN General Assembly's General Debate, as recorded below.
Tenure chronology
2019 → 2026, year by year
A selection of documented engagements, each linked to its source. Swipe or scroll sideways through the years.
- 2019
- 30 MayTakes office as External Affairs Minister. MEA
- 5 JulElected to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat in a by-election. Business Standard
- SepQuad foreign ministers meet for the first time, on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York. MEA Quad brief
- 2020
- Jan“In Conversation” at Raisina Dialogue 2020, under the title The India Way. MEA transcript
- SepThe India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World published by HarperCollins India. HarperCollins
- 2021
- 2021–22India serves as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. MEA Annual Report 2020–21
- 19 DecThird India–Central Asia Dialogue held in New Delhi; joint statement issued. MEA
- 2022
- 12 NovASEAN–India relations raised to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership at the Commemorative Summit in Phnom Penh. MEA ASEAN brief
- 1 DecIndia assumes the G20 Presidency. PIB
- 2023
- 12–13 Jan1st Voice of Global South Summit, held virtually. MEA
- 2 MarG20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in New Delhi. MEA India–China brief
- 9 SepAfrican Union admitted as a permanent G20 member at the New Delhi Summit. Akashvani News
- 26 SepNational statement at the 78th UN General Assembly. MEA
- 2024
- 10 JanWhy Bharat Matters published by Rupa Publications. Rupa
- 9 JunSworn in again as a Cabinet Minister; keeps External Affairs. Akashvani News
- 29 JulQuad Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Tokyo. MEA joint statement
- 28 SepNational statement at the 79th UN General Assembly. MEA
- 2025
- 21 JanQuad Foreign Ministers' Meeting and bilateral talks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Washington, D.C. Akashvani News
- 1 JulQuad Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Washington, D.C. MEA joint statement
- 14–15 JulMeets Chinese Vice President Han Zheng in Beijing, then attends the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers in Tianjin. China MFA · SCO
- AugMoscow: co-chairs the 26th IRIGC-TEC and calls on President Vladimir Putin. Akashvani News
- 27 SepStatement at the General Debate of the 80th UN General Assembly. MEA
- OctRepresents India at the 20th East Asia Summit, Kuala Lumpur. Akashvani News
- 2026
- 13 JanLaunches the logo, theme and website for India's BRICS Chairship. Akashvani News
- JanGuest of honour at the 31st Conference of Ambassadors of France. MEA India–France brief
- 9 MarSuo motu statement in the Lok Sabha on the situation in West Asia. MEA
- 26 MayHosts the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi. MEA
- 3–5 SepOfficial visit to Ukraine and Poland. MEA via Embassy, Belgrade
Areas of work
Eleven areas the Ministry handles
These are areas of the Ministry's work, not a list of personal achievements. Each entry states what the official record shows and where to read more.
01Bilateral diplomacy
Record
The Ministry publishes a brief on India's relations with each country, covering high-level visits and dialogue mechanisms.
02Neighbourhood
Record
“Neighbourhood First” is the Government's stated framework for relations with neighbouring countries. It is set out in the Ministry's answers to Parliament.
03Indo-Pacific
Record
India announced the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) at the East Asia Summit in Bangkok on 4 November 2019. The IPOI has seven pillars, running from maritime security to trade connectivity.
04Multilateral institutions
Record
India's 2021–22 term on the UN Security Council, its G20 Presidency (2022–23) and its 2026 BRICS Chairship all fall within this tenure.
Read
05Economic diplomacy
Record
Trade and investment figures appear in the Ministry's bilateral briefs, each with its period and source. The India–Russia brief, for example, reports bilateral trade of USD 68.7 billion in FY 2024–25.
06Diaspora & consular services
Record
According to the Ministry, its more than 200 missions abroad provide services to Indian citizens overseas. It also has functional divisions for consular work and diaspora matters.
Read
07Development partnerships
Record
Capacity-building under ITEC began in 1964. Indian missions describe it as having trained more than 200,000 officials from over 160 countries.
Read
08Global South engagement
Record
India convened three Voice of Global South Summits: in January 2023, November 2023 and August 2024.
Read
09Strategic partnerships
Record
Official partnership names vary by country and date. Examples: the “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership” with Russia (2010), the “Special Strategic and Global Partnership” with Japan (2014), and the “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” with Singapore (2024).
Read
10Crisis diplomacy
Record
The Minister reports to Parliament on developments abroad through suo motu statements. One example is the 9 March 2026 statement in the Lok Sabha on the situation in West Asia.
Read
11International organisations
Record
The Ministry keeps an overview of India's engagement with the United Nations system.