Foreign Minister Of India:  The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is India's main agency for handling foreign and diplomatic affairs with the world. The MEA has helped build India's role in the world landscape, promoting national interests and developing international relationships since independence. The External Affairs Minister heads this important ministry, speaking for India's voice and vision on the global stage. Here’s a complete list of external affairs ministers since 1946, according to the Ministry of External Affairs data.

What Is The Role Of The External Affairs Minister Of India?

The Minister of External Affairs guides India's foreign policy, represents the country on a global landscape, and coordinates diplomatic relations with other nations and international organisations. The minister protects the interests of Indians living overseas, negotiates treaties, oversees embassies and consulates and promotes India's presence and influence worldwide.

List Of External Affairs Ministers Since 1946:

No. Name Tenure Start Tenure End Notable Notes
1 Jawaharlal Nehru 2 Sep 1946 27 May 1964 First and longest-serving minister
2 Gulzarilal Nanda 27 May 1964 9 Jun 1964  
3 Lal Bahadur Shastri 9 Jun 1964 17 Jul 1964  
4 Sardar Swaran Singh 18 Jul 1964 14 Nov 1966  
5 M. C. Chagla 14 Nov 1966 5 Sep 1967 Former ambassador
6 Indira Gandhi 6 Sep 1967 13 Feb 1969 Also Prime Minister
7 Dinesh Singh 14 Feb 1969 27 Jun 1970  
8 Sardar Swaran Singh 27 Jun 1970 10 Oct 1974  
9 Yashwantrao Chavan 10 Oct 1974 24 Mar 1977  
10 Atal Bihari Vajpayee 26 Mar 1977 28 Jul 1979 Later became Prime Minister
11 Shyam Nandan Prasad Mishra 30 Jul 1979 13 Jan 1980  
12 P. V. Narasimha Rao 14 Jan 1980 18 Jul 1984 Later became Prime Minister
13 Indira Gandhi 19 Jul 1984 31 Oct 1984  
14 Rajiv Gandhi 31 Oct 1984 24 Sep 1985 Also Prime Minister
15 Bali Ram Bhagat 25 Sep 1985 12 May 1986  
16 P. Shiv Shankar 12 May 1986 22 Oct 1986  
17 N. D. Tiwari 22 Oct 1986 25 Jul 1987  
18 Rajiv Gandhi 25 Jul 1987 25 Jun 1988  
19 P. V. Narasimha Rao 25 Jun 1988 2 Dec 1989  
20 V. P. Singh 2 Dec 1989 5 Dec 1989 Also Prime Minister
21 I. K. Gujral 5 Dec 1989 10 Nov 1990 Later became Prime Minister
22 Vidya Charan Shukla 21 Nov 1990 20 Feb 1991  
23 Madhavsinh Solanki 21 Jun 1991 31 Mar 1992  
24 P. V. Narasimha Rao 31 Mar 1992 18 Jan 1993  
25 Dinesh Singh 18 Jan 1993 10 Feb 1995  
26 Pranab Mukherjee 10 Feb 1995 16 May 1996 Later Became The President Of India
27 Sikander Bakht 21 May 1996 1 Jun 1996  
28 I.K. Gujral 1 Jun 1996 18 Mar 1998  
29 Atal Bihari Vajpayee 19 Mar 1998 5 Dec 1998  
30 Jaswant Singh 5 Dec 1998 1 Jul 2002  
31 Yashwant Sinha 1 Jul 2002 22 May 2004  
32 K. Natwar Singh 22 May 2004 6 Nov 2005 Former diplomat
33 Manmohan Singh 6 Nov 2005 24 Oct 2006 Also Prime Minister
34 Pranab Mukherjee 24 Oct 2006 22 May 2009  
35 S. M. Krishna 22 May 2009 26 Oct 2012  
36 Salman Khurshid 28 Oct 2012 26 May 2014  
37 Sushma Swaraj 27 May 2014 30 May 2019 First full-term woman minister
38 Subrahmanyam Jaishankar 30 May 2019 Incumbent Former Foreign Secretary, career diplomat

 

Who Was The First External Affairs Minister Of India After 1947?

India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, was the first External Affairs Minister of India after independence in 1947. He set the tone for India's foreign policy of non-alignment and peaceful coexistence and directly handled India's international relations throughout his tenure from 1946 to 1964.

Who Was The Longest-serving External Affairs Minister Of India?

Jawaharlal Nehru is the longest-serving External Affairs Minister of India, serving from 1946 until 1964. His tenure of 17 years moulded India's diplomatic dynamics in the world landscape, built major international alliances, and laid down long-lasting principles which continue to influence India's foreign policy till today.

List Of Women External Affairs Ministers Of India:

India has had only two women holding the office of External Affairs Minister in its history. First, Indira Gandhi, who was also a serving Prime Minister at that time. The second was Sushma Swaraj, who completed a full term from 2014 to 2019. Both women leaders greatly improved India's diplomatic relations and international reputation in their respective times.