An Indian Foreign Service officer has become one of the most talked-about faces from the recently concluded BRICS Summit in New Delhi after appearing alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Sidharth Babu, a 2017-batch IFS officer, was seen standing beside Modi during his interaction with Xi and Putin. A photograph showing the three leaders sharing a warm exchange became one of the memorable images of the summit and also brought the relatively low-profile diplomat into the spotlight.
Babu, 36, currently serves as Deputy Secretary in the East Asia Division of the Ministry of External Affairs. His presence during the conversation was particularly significant because of his fluency in Mandarin. He helped translate Xi Jinping's remarks during the interaction with Prime Minister Modi.
Babu is from Kochi and completed a BTech in Mechanical Engineering from Mar Athanasius College of Engineering, graduating in 2012. He later cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination with an All India Rank of 15 in his second attempt and chose the Indian Foreign Service.
His diplomatic career has included several assignments at the Ministry of External Affairs. He began as an officer trainee in 2017 and subsequently served in positions including third secretary, second secretary, consul and under secretary before taking up his present role.
His expertise in China-related affairs developed during his first overseas posting in Beijing. Babu served there from 2018 to 2022 and learned Chinese during the assignment. The experience also gave him exposure to bilateral issues involving India and China.
He later served in the United States as a consul from August 2022 to June 2024. During that period, he pursued a master's degree in Language Interpretation and Translation at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey in California.
After returning to New Delhi in 2024, Babu was appointed an Under Secretary. In January 2025, he took charge as Deputy Secretary in the East Asia Division, a position closely connected with India's engagement with countries in the region, including China.
His appearance at the BRICS Summit highlights the important role played by diplomats and interpreters in high-level international engagements. While leaders often dominate the spotlight, officials with specialised language skills and knowledge of bilateral relations work behind the scenes to facilitate communication and ensure that sensitive conversations proceed smoothly.
India hosted the 18th BRICS Summit on September 12 and 13 under its 2026 chairship. The summit marked the beginning of BRICS' third decade and was held under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”
The meeting brought together leaders from the expanding BRICS grouping and focused on strengthening cooperation among member countries. India also played a key role in efforts to bridge differences among members and build consensus around the New Delhi Declaration.
For Sidharth Babu, however, the summit provided an unexpected moment in the public spotlight. His presence beside three of the world's most prominent leaders has turned attention towards the diplomats whose work often remains away from the cameras.
Reader Comments 0