&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Who is the smiling man beside Modi, Putin and Xi at BRICS Summit 2026?")
The viral image of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding the hands of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping features another man who is looking at the world leaders and smiling. Social media had various opinions about him. While some said he should be well-groomed, other said his position and skill matters more than his looks. As several dignataries and officials arrived at the 18th BRICS Summit vensue in new Delhi's Bharat Mandapam, this man was seen at several ocassions beside the Indian Prime Minister. Now, it is being reported that he is an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer.
Who is the man beside Modi, Putin and Xi at BRICS Summit 2026?
According to a report by Firstpost, the man is Siddharth Babu, a 2017-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer. He is from Kerala's Kochi. He serves as a diplomatic interpreter for the prime minister and as Deputy Secretary for Europe and Eurasia in the Ministry of External Affairs. His role is to bridge the language gaps during sensitive diplomatic meetings, where even small differences in wording and tone can matter. While he studied mechanical engineering and initially worked in the private sector, including in e-commerce, his LinkedIn profile says that he joined MEA in 2017.
According to Moneycontrol, he appeared for the UPSC Civil Services Examination before eventually securing an All India Rank of 15 in 2016. Although his rank could have opened the way to the Indian Administrative Service, he opted for the Indian Foreign Service because of his interest in international affairs and diplomacy. According to LinkedIn, Siddartha Babu’s career at India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) began in December 2017 as an Officer Trainee in New Delhi. He then served as Third Secretary and Second Secretary at the Indian Embassy in Beijing, China, from 2018 to 2022. From August 2022 to June 2024, he worked as Consul in Monterey County, California. He returned to New Delhi as Under Secretary from June 2024 to December 2025 and has been serving as Deputy Secretary since January 2025.
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