Who Is Sidharth Babu? IFS Officer Seen With PM Modi, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping at BRICS Summit 2026
Who is Sidharth Babu, the Indian Foreign Service officer seen alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the BRICS Summit? The 36-year-old 2017-batch diplomat currently serves as Deputy Secretary in the MEA’s East Asia Division and helped PM Modi follow Xi’s remarks during their interaction.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, September 12, posted an image on social media platform X that captured his bonhomie with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the BRICS Summit. In the photo, PM Modi can be seen holding hands with Putin and Xi.
The photo, which has now gone viral, has also put a young Indian diplomat seen standing close to the three leaders in the spotlight. The officer is Sidharth Babu, a 36-year-old Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer who helped PM Modi follow Xi’s remarks during their interaction. From Xi Jinping to Vladimir Putin: PM Narendra Modi Holds 15 Bilateral Meetings in 3 Days at the BRICS Summit.
IFS Officer Sidharth Babu Seen With PM Modi, World Leaders
BRICS Summit 2026 gets underway in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/WN7YWi5bTg
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 12, 2026
Who Is Sidharth Babu?
A 2017-batch diplomat, Babu is currently Deputy Secretary in the East Asia Division of the Ministry of External Affairs. His knowledge of Chinese and experience in Beijing have made him an important part of India’s diplomatic engagements involving China.
Babu hails from Kerala’s Kochi. He studied mechanical engineering at Mar Athanasius College of Engineering and graduated in 2012. He later worked in the e-commerce sector before turning towards the civil services. ‘China and India Are Partners, Not Rivals’: Xi Jinping at BRICS.
Babu's journey to the diplomatic service followed an initial unsuccessful attempt at the Civil Services Examination. He cleared the examination on his second attempt with an All India Rank of 15 and subsequently joined the IFS. His diplomatic career began in December 2017.
Babu was posted to Beijing in 2018, where he served as Third Secretary and later Second Secretary until 2022. The assignment gave him extensive exposure to China and strengthened his Chinese-language proficiency and understanding of the country. His experience in Beijing later became relevant to his work in the East Asia Division of the Ministry of External Affairs.
California Assignment And Higher Studies
After his Beijing posting, Babu served as a consul in California from August 2022 to June 2024. During the period, he also pursued a master’s degree in language interpretation and translation at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.
Babu returned to Delhi in 2024 and became Deputy Secretary in the East Asia Division in January 2025.
Babu had earlier interpreted for PM Modi during his interaction with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the Republic Day celebrations in January. His appearance alongside Modi, Putin and Xi at the BRICS Summit has now brought renewed attention to his diplomatic role, particularly his expertise in Chinese and experience handling high-level engagements involving China.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 13, 2026 11:18 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
