Engage with diaspora, state govts: PM to IFS Officer Trainees

Future diplomats should be more tech-savvy and engage with state governments and the Indian diaspora, who are increasingly becoming important stakeholders in the conduct of foreign relations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today.

He was interacting with 39 officer trainees of Indian Foreign Service, undergoing training at the Foreign Service Institute.

Addressing the officer trainees, the prime minister stressed the importance of representing India abroad in the context of its rich history, culture and traditions.

He said that IFS officers should "remain alive not only to the current national priorities, but also future requirements for national development".

He encouraged them to become more tech-savvy and engage fully with state governments and the Indian diaspora, who are increasingly important stakeholders in the conduct of foreign relations, an official statement said.

Two diplomats from Bhutan, undergoing training at the Foreign Service Institute, also joined the group.