Former foreign Secretary Jaishankar joins Tata Group as PM relaxes ‘Cooling Off Period’

Former Indian foreign secretary S. Jaishankar, the former ambassador known for his coveted roles in Japan, singapore and China, besides the US, has been allowed to take over a new post as President of Global Corporate Affairs of Tata group and he will report to N Chandrasekaran, executive chairman of Tata Sons.

Since senior bureaucrats are bound by one-year cooling off period before accepting any private sector positions, Jaishankar had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a waiver of the "cooling-off period" and reportedly got a positive reply.

In his new role, Dr. Jaishankar will oversee the Tata group’s global corporate affairs and international strategy, which includes all Tata Sons’ international offices, said a statement. "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," said Chandrasekaran, Tata Sons executive chairman.

"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," said Jaishankar.

Jaishankar, who served as the Indian foreign secretary from January 2015 to January 2018, was an Indian Foreign Service officer of 1977 batch who played a key role in India’s relations with Japan, China, Singapore and the United states, especially in negotiating the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement.

He had served both Manmohan singh and Narendra Modi, who had trusted his skills as an ambassador with utmost negotiating skills. He was also credited with a peaceful end to the stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops at Doklam last year. He retired on Jan. 28, 2018 from the government service.

A graduate of St Stephen’s College at the University of Delhi, he has an MA in Political Science, MPhil and Ph.D. in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University.

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