Modi 3.0: S Jaishankar remains PM's foreign policy pick for third term

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has retained S Jaishankar, who has played a key role in shaping the Modi government's foreign policy for the past 10 years, as external affairs minister for the second time.

A 1977-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, Jaishankar was one of the five ex-bureaucrats inducted into the Modi 2.0 cabinet after a long stint at the ministry of external affairs (MEA).

His experience about key nations such as the United States and China, both of which he had been envoy to, helped his case.

A major highlight of his diplomatic career was his tenure as joint secretary in-charge of Americas Division from 2004 to 2007 when he was involved in negotiating the historic Civil Nuclear Agreement.

He also led the Indian team of negotiators for the subsequent 123 Agreement with the US, which was linked to the Civil Nuclear deal that concluded in 2009.

Jaishankar's tenure as India's Ambassador to China from 2009 to 2013, which was the longest by any IFS officer, coincided with several major developments in bilateral relations.

Subsequently, as the ambassador to the US, he planned and executed the highly-publicised maiden visit of the PM to the US in September 2014 and his landmark Howdy Modi address to the Indian diaspora at New York's Madison Square Garden.

As foreign secretary from January 2015 to January 2018, Jaishankar played a key role in shaping Modi's foreign policy during his first term. It saw a significant growth of India's ties with key countries, particularly the US and the Arab nations.

In the past five years, Jaishankar has also benefited from a burgeoning fan base, which expanded quickly after the minister repeatedly took on Western media and experts on India's decision to buy crude oil from Russia.

Online forums and social media are replete with memes showcasing the diplomatic prowess and negotiation skills of the minister.

Engaging China at home and abroad, and ensuring the survival of two mega economic corridors connecting India to Europe, West Asia and Russia, would remain key priorities for Jaishankar.