Right after taking office in 2014, he worked for five years as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s private secretary. According to his contemporaries, he has had a “big” role in determining India’s foreign policy toward Israel and has maintained a thoughtful and sensitive stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Meet Sanjeev Kumar Singla, an IFS officer from the 1997 class who today serves as ambassador for India in Israel, overseeing 18,000 Indian professionals, students, and 85,000 Jews of Indian ancestry.
Since he previously served in Israel, Singla is regarded among his colleagues as an “expert on Israel” and other West Asian nations. Between November 2013 until July 2014, Singla worked in the Indian embassy in Israel before being hired as the PM’s private secretary. In October of this year, he was named Indian ambassador to Israel.
Singla has spent the most of his time in Israel, but he has also held a variety of positions in Indian Missions in Paris (France), Dhaka (Bangladesh), and Geneva (Switzerland). Additionally, he held significant roles at the US desk, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), and was chosen to be the director in the office of the foreign secretary.
Singla has “significantly” shaped India’s diplomacy and strategic connections with Israel, according to a senior IFS official who worked with him in the MEA.
India’s foreign policy with Israel has developed in three stages since 1950, with the first stage including no political relations. After 1992, India formally upgraded its foreign policy toward Israel, and the two nations established diplomatic connections. The top IFS officer added that after PM Modi’s trip to Israel in 2017, both countries began to have strategic partnerships in a number of areas, with a focus on innovation and expertise. The Indian embassy in Tel Aviv is headed by Singla, who is in charge of a team of seven officers.
SINGLA’S IMPORTANT IMPACT ON INDIA-ISRAEL TIES
In the context of Israel, PM Modi’s remark following the October 7 onslaught on Gaza by the Palestinian armed organization Hamas was carefully crafted. The prime minister referred to the incident as a “terrorist attack” but avoided mentioning Gaza, Palestine, or Hamas, instead emphasizing Israel’s position.
“Following his 2017 visit, the Prime Minister came to recognize the significance of Israel as a crucial partner for India. Throughout previous high-profile battles, Israel has historically provided India with weapons and other relevant technologies. An ex-IFS officer describing Singla’s participation said that the Israeli government’s defense plan against the terrorist groups was clear-cut.
“Prime Minister Modi had an instinctive sense that the partnership with Israel had the potential to evolve into a substantial and meaningful alliance. He sought an officer he could work with and who would be able to put his ideas into practice, greatly advancing the (India-Israel) diplomatic relationship. That is why he chose Singla, who was at the time acting as his personal secretary and had previously worked for the Israeli embassy for a short period of time,” he said.
