Minister of External Affairs (India)

The Minister of External Affairs (or simply, the Foreign Minister Hindi: Videsh Mantri) is the head of the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India. One of the senior-most offices in the Union Cabinet, the chief responsibility of the Foreign Minister is to represent India and its government in the international community. The Foreign Minister also plays an important role in determining Indian foreign policy. Occasionally, the Foreign Minister is assisted by a Minister of State for External Affairs or the lower-ranked Deputy Minister of External Affairs.

Minister of External Affairs
विदेश मंत्री
Videsh Mantrī
Emblem of the Ministry of External Affairs
Incumbent
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
since 31 May 2019 (2019-05-31)
Ministry of External Affairs
AbbreviationMEA
Member ofCabinet of India
Cabinet Committee on Security
Reports toPrime Minister of India
Parliament of India
AppointerPresident of India
on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of India
Formation1947 (1947)
First holderJawaharlal Nehru
DeputyMinister of State for External Affairs

India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, also held the Foreign Minister post throughout his 17-year premiership of the country; he remains the country's longest-serving Foreign Minister. Several other Prime Ministers have since held the additional charge of foreign minister, but never has any other cabinet minister held additional charge of the office. There have been a number of Foreign Ministers who went on to become the Prime Minister like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, P. V. Narasimha Rao and I. K. Gujral.

The current Minister of External Affairs is Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, succeeding Sushma Swaraj of the Bharatiya Janata Party on 30 May 2019.

Cabinet Ministers
Portrait Minister
(Birth-Death)		 Term of office Political party Ministry Prime Minister
From To Period
Jawaharlal Nehru
(1889–1964)
MP for United Provinces (till 1952)
MP for Phulpur (from 1952)
(Prime Minister)		 15 August
1947		 27 May
1964		 16 years, 286 days Indian National Congress Nehru I Self
Nehru II
Nehru III
Nehru IV
Gulzarilal Nanda
(1898–1998)
MP for Sabarkantha
(Acting Prime Minister)		 27 May
1964		 9 June
1964		 13 days Nanda I Self
Lal Bahadur Shastri
(1904–1966)
MP for Allahabad
(Prime Minister)		 9 June
1964		 17 July
1964		 38 days Shastri Lal Bahadur Shastri
Swaran Singh
(1907–1994)
MP for Jullundur		 17 July
1964		 11 January
1966		 2 years, 120 days
11 January
1966		 24 January
1966		 Nanda II Gulzarilal Nanda
(Acting)
24 January
1966		 14 November
1966		 Indira I Indira Gandhi
M. C. Chagla
(1900–1981)
MP for Maharashtra (Rajya Sabha)		 14 November
1966		 5 September
1967		 295 days
Indira Gandhi
(1917–1984)
MP for Rae Bareli
(Prime Minister)		 6 September
1967		 13 February
1969		 1 year, 160 days
Dinesh Singh
(1925–1995)
MP for Pratapgarh		 14 February
1969		 27 June
1970		 1 year, 133 days
Swaran Singh
(1907–1994)
MP for Jullundur		 27 June
1970		 15 March
1971		 4 years, 105 days
15 March
1971		 10 October
1974		 Indira II
Yashwantrao Chavan
(1913–1984)
MP for Satara		 10 October
1974		 24 March
1977		 2 years, 165 days
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
(1924–2018)
MP for New Delhi		 26 March
1977		 28 July
1979		 2 years, 124 days Janata Party Desai Morarji Desai
Shyam Nandan Prasad Mishra
(1920–2004)
MP for Begusarai		 28 July
1979		 14 January
1980		 170 days Janata Party (Secular) Charan Singh Charan Singh
P. V. Narasimha Rao
(1921–2004)
MP for Hanamkonda		 14 January
1980		 19 July
1984		 4 years, 187 days Indian National Congress Indira III Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
(1917–1984)
MP for Medak
(Prime Minister)		 19 July
1984		 31 October
1984		 104 days
Rajiv Gandhi
(1944–1991)
MP for Amethi
(Prime Minister)		 31 October
1984		 31 December
1984		 328 days Rajiv I Rajiv Gandhi
31 December
1984		 24 September
1985		 Rajiv
Bali Ram Bhagat
(1922–2011)
MP for Arrah		 24 September
1985		 12 May
1986		 230 days
P. Shiv Shankar
(1929–2017)
MP for Gujarat (Rajya Sabha)		 12 May
1986		 22 October
1986		 163 days
N. D. Tiwari
(1925–2018)
MP for Uttar Pradesh (Rajya Sabha)		 22 October
1986		 25 July
1987		 276 days
Rajiv Gandhi
(1944–1991)
MP for Amethi
(Prime Minister)		 25 July
1987		 25 June
1988		 336 days
P. V. Narasimha Rao
(1921–2004)
MP for Ramtek		 25 June
1988		 2 December
1989		 1 year, 160 days
V. P. Singh
(1931–2008)
MP for Fatehpur
(Prime Minister)		 2 December
1989		 5 December
1989		 3 days Janata Dal V. P. Singh V. P. Singh
Inder Kumar Gujral
(1919–2012)
MP for Jalandhar		 5 December
1989		 10 November
1990		 340 days
Chandra Shekhar
(1927–2007)
MP for Ballia
(Prime Minister)		 10 November
1990		 21 November
1990		 11 days Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya) Chandra Shekhar Chandra Shekhar
Vidya Charan Shukla
(1929–2013)
MP for Mahasamund		 21 November
1990		 20 February
1991		 91 days
Chandra Shekhar
(1927–2007)
MP for Ballia
(Prime Minister)		 20 February
1991		 21 June
1991		 121 days
Madhavsinh Solanki
(1927–2021)
MP for Gujarat (Rajya Sabha)		 21 June
1991		 31 March
1992		 284 days Indian National Congress Rao P. V. Narasimha Rao
P. V. Narasimha Rao
(1921–2004)
MP for Nandyal
(Prime Minister)		 31 March
1992		 18 January
1993		 293 days
Dinesh Singh
(1925–1995)
MP for Uttar Pradesh (Rajya Sabha)		 18 January
1993		 10 February
1995		 2 years, 23 days
Pranab Mukherjee
(1935–2020)
MP for West Bengal (Rajya Sabha)		 10 February
1995		 16 May
1996		 1 year, 96 days
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
(1924–2018)
MP for Lucknow
(Prime Minister)		 16 May
1996		 21 May
1996		 5 days Bharatiya Janata Party Vajpayee I Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Sikander Bakht
(1918–2004)
MP for Madhya Pradesh (Rajya Sabha)		 21 May
1996		 1 June
1996		 11 days
Inder Kumar Gujral
(1919–2012)
MP for Bihar (Rajya Sabha)
(Prime Minister from 21 April 1997)		 1 June
1996		 21 April
1997		 1 year, 290 days Janata Dal Deve Gowda H. D. Deve Gowda
21 April
1997		 18 March
1998		 Gujral Self
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
(1924–2018)
MP for Lucknow
(Prime Minister)		 19 March
1998		 5 December
1998		 261 days Bharatiya Janata Party Vajpayee II Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Jaswant Singh
(1938–2020)
MP for Rajasthan (Rajya Sabha)		 5 December
1998		 13 October
1999		 3 years, 208 days
13 October
1999		 1 July
2002		 Vajpayee III
Yashwant Sinha
(born 1937)
MP for Hazaribagh		 1 July
2002		 22 May
2004		 1 year, 326 days
K. Natwar Singh
(born 1929)
MP for Rajasthan (Rajya Sabha)		 23 May
2004		 6 November
2005		 1 year, 167 days Indian National Congress Manmohan I Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh
(born 1932)
MP for Assam (Rajya Sabha)
(Prime Minister)		 6 November
2005		 24 October
2006		 352 days
Pranab Mukherjee
(1935–2020)
MP for Jangipur		 24 October
2006		 22 May
2009		 2 years, 210 days
S. M. Krishna
(born 1932)
MP for Karnataka (Rajya Sabha)		 23 May
2009		 28 October
2012		 3 years, 158 days Manmohan II
Salman Khurshid
(born 1953)
MP for Farrukhabad		 28 October
2012		 26 May
2014		 1 year, 210 days
Sushma Swaraj
(1952–2019)
MP for Vidisha		 26 May
2014		 30 May
2019		 5 years, 4 days Bharatiya Janata Party Modi I Narendra Modi
S. Jaishankar
(born 1955)
MP for Gujarat (Rajya Sabha)		 31 May
2019		 Incumbent 4 years, 143 days Modi II

Ministers of State
Portrait Minister
(Birth-Death)		 Term of office Political party Ministry Prime Minister
From To Period
Lakshmi N. Menon
(1899–1994)
MP for Bihar (Rajya Sabha)		 16 April
1962		 27 May
1964		 3 years, 283 days Indian National Congress Nehru IV Jawaharlal Nehru
27 May
1964		 9 June
1964		 Nanda I Gulzarilal Nanda
(Acting)
15 June
1964		 11 January
1966		 Shastri Lal Bahadur Shastri
11 January
1966		 24 January
1966		 Nanda II Gulzarilal Nanda
(Acting)
Dinesh Singh
(1925–1995)
MP for Uttar Pradesh (Rajya Sabha)		 24 January
1966		 13 March
1967		 1 year, 48 days Indira I Indira Gandhi
Bali Ram Bhagat
(1922–2011)
MP for Arrah		 14 November
1967		 14 February
1969		 1 year, 92 days
Surendra Pal Singh
(1917–2009)
MP for Bulandshahr		 5 February
1973		 10 October
1974		 1 year, 247 days Indira II
Samarendra Kundu
(1930–?)
MP for Balasore		 14 August
1977		 28 July
1979		 1 year, 348 days Janata Party Desai Morarji Desai
Bedabrata Barua
(born 1928)
MP for Kaliabor		 4 August
1979		 14 January
1980		 163 days Indian National Congress (Urs) Charan Singh Charan Singh
A. A. Rahim
(1920–1995)
MP for Chirayinkil		 2 September
1982		 31 October
1984		 2 years, 59 days Indian National Congress Indira III Indira Gandhi
Ram Niwas Mirdha
(1924–2010)
MP for Rajasthan (Rajya Sabha)		 2 August
1984		 90 days
A. A. Rahim
(1920–1995)
MP for Chirayinkil		 4 November
1984		 31 December
1984		 57 days Rajiv I Rajiv Gandhi
Ram Niwas Mirdha
(1924–2010)
MP for Rajasthan (Rajya Sabha)
Khurshed Alam Khan
(1919–2013)
MP for Farrukhabad		 31 December
1984		 25 September
1985		 268 days Rajiv II
K. R. Narayanan
(1921–2005)
MP for Ottapalam		 25 September
1985		 22 October
1986		 1 year, 27 days
Eduardo Faleiro
(born 1940)
MP for Mormugao		 12 May
1986		 14 February
1988		 1 year, 278 days
K. Natwar Singh
(born 1929)
MP for Bharatpur		 22 October
1986		 2 December
1989		 3 years, 41 days
Kamla Kant Tiwari
MP for Buxar		 25 June
1988		 22 April
1989		 301 days
Hari Kishore Singh
(1934–2013)
MP for Sheohar		 23 April
1990		 10 November
1990		 201 days Indian People's Front Chandra Shekhar Chandra Shekhar
Eduardo Faleiro
(born 1940)
MP for Mormugao		 21 June
1991		 18 January
1993		 1 year, 211 days Indian National Congress Rao P. V. Narasimha Rao
R. L. Bhatia
(1920–2021)
MP for Amritsar		 2 July
1992		 16 May
1993		 318 days
Salman Khurshid
(born 1953)
MP for Farrukhabad		 18 January
1993		 16 May
1996		 3 years, 119 days
Saleem Iqbal Shervani
(born 1953)
MP for Badaun		 9 June
1997		 19 March
1998		 332 days Samajwadi Party Gujral Inder Kumar Gujral
Kamala Sinha
(1932–2014)
MP for Bihar (Rajya Sabha)		 Janata Dal
Vasundhara Raje
(born 1953)
MP for Jhalawar		 20 March
1998		 13 October
1999		 1 year, 207 days Bharatiya Janata Party Vajpayee II Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Ajit Kumar Panja
(1936–2008)
MP for Calcutta North East		 13 October
1999		 16 March
2001		 1 year, 154 days All India Trinamool Congress Vajpayee III
Krishnam Raju
(1940–2022)
MP for Narasapuram		 30 September
2000		 22 July
2001		 295 days Bharatiya Janata Party
Omar Abdullah
(born 1970)
MP for Srinagar		 22 July
2001		 23 December
2002		 1 year, 154 days Jammu and Kashmir National Conference
Digvijay Singh
(1955–2010)
MP for Banka		 1 July
2002		 22 May
2004		 1 year, 326 days Janata Dal (United)
Vinod Khanna
(1946–2017)
MP for Gurdaspur		 29 January
2003		 22 May
2004		 1 year, 114 days Bharatiya Janata Party
E. Ahamed
(1938–2017)
MP for Ponnani		 23 May
2004		 22 May
2009		 4 years, 364 days Indian Union Muslim League Manmohan I Manmohan Singh
Rao Inderjit Singh
(born 1951)
MP for Mahendragarh		 22 May
2004		 29 January
2006		 1 year, 252 days Indian National Congress
Anand Sharma
(born 1953)
MP for Himachal Pradesh (Rajya Sabha)		 29 January
2006		 22 May
2009		 3 years, 113 days
Preneet Kaur
(born 1944)
MP for Patiala		 28 May
2009		 26 May
2014		 4 years, 363 days Manmohan II
Shashi Tharoor
(born 1956)
MP for Thiruvananthapuram		 28 May
2009		 19 April
2010		 326 days
E. Ahamed
(1938–2017)
MP for Malappuram		 19 January
2011		 26 May
2014		 3 years, 127 days Indian Union Muslim League
General
V. K. Singh (Retd.)
PVSM AVSM YSM ADC
(born 1950)
MP for Ghaziabad		 26 May
2014		 30 May
2019		 5 years, 4 days Bharatiya Janata Party Modi I Narendra Modi
M. J. Akbar
(born 1951)
MP for Madhya Pradesh (Rajya Sabha)		 5 July
2016		 17 October
2018		 2 years, 104 days
V. Muraleedharan
(born 1958)
MP for Maharashtra (Rajya Sabha)		 31 May
2019		 Incumbent 4 years, 143 days Modi II
Meenakshi Lekhi
(born 1967)
MP for New Delhi		 7 July
2021		 2 years, 106 days
Rajkumar Ranjan Singh
(born 1952)
MP for Inner Manipur

See also

References
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