Former foreign secretary S Jaishankar is now Tata Group’s corporate head

A 1977 cadre Indian Foreign Service official, Jaishankar has been foreign secretary from January 2015 to January 2018. He had held key roles during his career including stints as high commissioner to Singapore, ambassador to China and the United States. He also played a key role in negotiating the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement. 

“In his new role he will be responsible for the Tata group’s global corporate affairs and international strategy development and Tata Sons’ international offices will report to him. Jaishankar will work with Tata companies to help them strengthen their business presence and positioning in their respective geographies globally,” a Tata Group release stated.

“I am delighted to welcome Dr Jaishankar to the Tata group. His extensive experience and knowledge on international affairs will be very valuable to the group as we work to reinforce our brand and leadership globally,” chairman of Tata Sons, N Chandrasekaran, said.

“The Tata group is an iconic institution known for its value-based leadership as well as India’s most respected brand globally. I look forward to being part of the Tata group and working with key stakeholders to make an impact,” Jaishankar said.

A well-respected career diplomat, jaishankar was said to have enjoyed the prime minister's trust. He also had a good working relationship with external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj.

He is largely credited with helping negotiate a peaceful resolution to the stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops at Doklam last year.

He was also a key member of the team that negotiated the landmark India-US nuclear deal

Jaishankar is a graduate of St Stephen’s College, University of Delhi. He has an MA in political science and an MPhil and PhD in international relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University.