Indian Foreign Service
| Service overview | |
| Abbreviation | IFS |
|---|---|
| Date of establishment | 9 October 1946 |
| Headquarters | South Block, New Delhi |
| Country | India |
| Staff college | Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service, New Delhi |
| Field of operation | Diplomatic missions of India |
| Cadre controlling authority | Ministry of External Affairs |
| Minister responsible | S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs |
| Legal personality | Governmental: Civil service |
| Preceding service | Indian Civil Service |
| Cadre strength | IFS (A): 996 (March 2021)
Total strength (including IFS (B)): 4,297 (as of March 2021) |
| Service Chief | |
| Foreign Secretary | Vikram Misri, IFS |
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The Indian Foreign Service (IFS) is a diplomatic service and a central civil service of the Government of the Republic of India under the Ministry of External Affairs. The Foreign Secretary is the head of the service. Vikram Misri is the 35th and the current Foreign Secretary.
The service, consisting of civil servants is entrusted with handling the foreign relations of India and providing consular services, and to mark India's presence in international organizations. It is the body of career diplomats serving in more than 160 Indian diplomatic missions and international organizations around the world. In addition, they serve at the President's Secretariat, the Prime Minister's Office and at the headquarters of MEA in New Delhi. They also head Regional Passport Offices throughout the country and hold positions in several ministries on deputation.
Post-retirement, Indian Foreign Service officers have held high offices including that of President, Vice President, Governors of States, Speaker of Lok Sabha, and Cabinet ministers.