Who is Sidharth Babu? 36-year-old diplomat seen in viral photos of Modi-Xi-Putin BRICS meeting | Today’s news
A photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the BRICS summit has garnered widespread attention online. But another Indian official in the cadre soon became his own subject.
The officer is Sidharth Babu, a 36-year-old Indian Foreign Service (IFS) diplomat currently serving as Under Secretary in the East Asia Division of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). His role, along with his Mandarin skills and experience in China, brought him close to several high-level diplomatic engagements.
Babu belongs to the 2017 batch of the IFS and has built his career on international relations, particularly India’s engagement in East Asia.
From engineering to IFS
Babu is originally from Kochi, Kerala. According to his LinkedIn profile, he studied mechanical engineering at Mar Athanasius College of Engineering from 2008 to 2012.
Before joining the state administration, he worked in the e-commerce industry. His first attempt at the civil services exam did not lead to selection. He returned the following year and secured an All India Rank 15, eventually choosing the Indian Foreign Service.
He started his diplomatic career in New Delhi as a trainee officer in December 2017.
His first assignment overseas was particularly important for his subsequent career. Babu moved to Beijing in August 2018 as third secretary and was later promoted to second secretary, serving until July 2022.
A four-year stint in China gave him first-hand experience of the country and its political and diplomatic environment, while strengthening his language skills in Mandarin.
From Beijing to California
After China, Babu moved to the US. Between August 2022 and June 2024, he served as consul in Monterey County, California.
During the same period, he studied for a master’s degree in language interpretation and translation at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey.
Babu returned to Delhi in June 2024, initially working as a deputy minister. In January 2025, he became Assistant Secretary in the East Asia Division, a position he currently holds.
It was not his first high-level diplomatic appearance
The BRICS summit was not Babu’s first appearance at a major engagement involving Modi.
During India’s 77th Republic Day celebrations in January, he was placed on a VIP podium and interpreted a conversation between Modi and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
His latest appearance has since made him a viral figure online, with social media users discussing both his role at the summit and, in some cases, his appearance. But the spotlight has once again turned to behind-the-scenes diplomatic officials who help facilitate talks between world leaders.
