​Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India's External Affairs Minister since 2019, hails from a distinguished Tamil Brahmin family with deep roots in public service, diplomacy, and academia.​

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Immediate Family

  • Father: K. Subrahmanyam – A renowned Indian civil servant, strategic affairs analyst, and journalist, often referred to as the "father of India's nuclear doctrine." ​

  • Mother: Sulochana Subrahmanyam – Homemaker. ​

  • Siblings:

    • Sanjay Subrahmanyam – A distinguished historian specializing in early modern South Asian and global history.

    • S. Vijay Kumar – Former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and ex-Secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development.

    • Sudha Subrahmanyam – Sister. ​

💍 Marriages and Children

  • First Wife: Shobha Jaishankar – Met during their time at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU); she passed away due to cancer. ​

  • Second Wife: Kyoko Somekawa Jaishankar – Of Japanese origin; they met during his diplomatic posting in Japan. ​

  • Children:

    • Dhruva Jaishankar – A foreign policy analyst and Executive Director of the Observer Research Foundation America.

    • Arjun Jaishankar – Limited public information available.

    • Medha Jaishankar – Involved in media and entertainment; maintains a presence on social media platforms. ​

🧬 Early Life and Education

Born in New Delhi to K. Subrahmanyam, a prominent Indian strategic affairs analyst, and Sulochana Subrahmanyam, Dr. Jaishankar hails from a Tamil Brahmin family. He completed his schooling at The Air Force School in Delhi and Bangalore Military School. He earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from St. Stephen's College, Delhi, followed by an MA in Political Science, and MPhil and PhD in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), where he specialized in nuclear diplomacy. ​

🌐 Diplomatic Career

Dr. Jaishankar joined the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) in 1977 and held several key diplomatic positions:​

  • Ambassador to the United States (2013–2015)

  • Ambassador to China (2009–2013)

  • High Commissioner to Singapore (2007–2009)

  • Ambassador to the Czech Republic (2000–2004)

  • Foreign Secretary of India (2015–2018)

In 2018, he served as President – Global Corporate Affairs at Tata Sons Private Limited. ​

🏛️ Minister of External Affairs

Appointed as the Minister of External Affairs on May 30, 2019, Dr. Jaishankar became the first former Foreign Secretary to hold this ministerial position. He has been instrumental in shaping India's foreign policy, emphasizing strategic autonomy and assertiveness on the global stage. ​

📚 Publications

Dr. Jaishankar has authored:​

  • The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World (2020)

  • Why Bharat Matters (2024)

These works outline his vision for India's role in global affairs. ​

🏅 Awards

In 2019, he was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honor, for his contributions to Indian diplomacy. ​

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Personal Life

Dr. Jaishankar was first married to Shobha, whom he met at JNU; she passed away due to cancer. He later married Kyoko, of Japanese origin. They have three children: two sons, Dhruva and Arjun, and a daughter, Medha. Dhruva Jaishankar is a noted foreign policy analyst.

📘 Notable Facts

  • Dr. Jaishankar is multilingual, fluent in English, Tamil, Hindi, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, and Hungarian. ​

  • He is a recipient of the Padma Shri award in 2019 for his contributions to Indian diplomacy. ​

  • His academic background includes a Ph.D. in international relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University, specializing in nuclear diplomacy.

 

 

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