India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has designated Kirti Vardhan Singh, the Minister of State, as the key contact for the Gulf region. This decision comes after the formation of India's new Council of Ministers on June 9, following the elections for the lower house of Parliament, the Lok Sabha.
Singh took office as Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on June 11. He was assigned responsibility for the Gulf as part of the MEA's ministerial workload distribution by Jaishankar. This change was made public through an updated organogram released on Saturday.
Singh will concurrently oversee consular services, passports, and visa matters, among other areas. He will also manage Overseas Indian Affairs, both of which are of significant interest in the Gulf due to the substantial Indian expatriate population in the GCC countries. India maintains a unified division within the MEA for consular, passports, visas, and Overseas Indian Affairs. Muktesh Kumar Pardeshi will remain the most senior civil servant supporting Singh in these duties.
