Subrahmanyam Jaishankar is an Indian politician and a former career diplomat who currently serves as the Minister of External Affairs of India, a cabinet-level post in the Union Government. Born on January 9, 1955, he joined the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) in 1977 and had a diplomatic career spanning over 38 years. He was appointed to his current role on May 30, 2019, succeeding Sushma Swaraj, and is the first former Foreign Secretary of India to head the Ministry of External Affairs as a cabinet minister. His extensive diplomatic history, which includes serving as Foreign Secretary from 2015 to 2018 and as Ambassador to the United States (2013–2015) and China (2009–2013), provided the foundation for his current political role. As a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he is also a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat.
His tenure is characterized by a foreign policy approach often referred to as the "Jaishankar Doctrine," which emphasizes an "India-first" and pragmatic, interest-based attitude toward international relations. This mechanism involves pursuing strategic autonomy and multi-vector diplomacy, engaging with all major global powers without aligning with any single bloc. Key concepts he connects to include India's growing role in the Global South, the importance of strategic autonomy, and the promotion of India's civilizational identity in foreign policy. He has been instrumental in advancing India's position on global issues, such as asserting that bilateral talks with Pakistan are contingent on an end to cross-border terrorism and advocating for a peaceful resolution of the Sino-Indian border dispute. He was re-appointed to the post in June 2024 in the third Modi ministry. He was conferred the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honour, in January 2019.