Tata Sons on Monday announced the appointment of S Jaishankar as the Tata Group's President of Global Corporate Affairs after he was apparently given a waiver from the 'cooling off period' for which he had sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's permission. In his new role, he will report to N Chandrasekaran, Executive Chairman of Tata Sons.
S Jaishankar had retired on January 28 after which he reportedly wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and had sought a waiver of the 'cooling-off period' for bureaucrats citing the offer from the Tata Group. The 'cooling off period' was reduced to a year from two years after 2015.
As per the rule, all central civil servants have to seek permission from the centre before taking up commercial jobs in a year before leaving office.
In his new role, he will be responsible for the Tata Group's global corporate affairs and international strategy development, and Tata Sons' international offices will report to him. Dr Jaishankar will work with Tata Companies to help strengthen the group's business presence and positioning in their respective geographies globally.
"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 N Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons.
"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, who had a great repertoire with the PM as well as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, suggest media reports.
His major achievements in the office include negotiating a peaceful talk process during the Doklam stand-off and successful negotiation during the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement.
The Indian foreign secretary from January 2015 to January 2018, Jaishankar joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1977, holding key roles during his career including stints as high commissioner to Singapore, Ambassador to China and the United States.
Jaishankar is a graduate of St Stephen's College at the University of Delhi. He has an MA in Political Science and an MPhil and PhD in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).