The New Indian Express ·
Meet the Malayali diplomat behind Modi, Xi and Putin during BRICS summit
KOCHI: A Malayali diplomat from Kochi has suddenly found himself at the centre of social media attention after appearing in a photograph with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The photograph, shared by Modi during the BRICS summit, quickly went viral, with many online users asking the same question: Who is the fourth man standing behind the three world leaders? He is 36-year-old Sidharth Babu, a 2017-batch Indian Foreign Service officer from Kaloor, Kochi.
And there is more to Siddharth Babu than his fleeting appearance in a high-profile photograph. He secured 15th rank in the UPSC Civil Services Examination and, before entering the IFS, had completed his BTech and worked in the private sector. What makes his diplomatic profile particularly interesting is his China connection.
