Jitender Pal Singh

His Excellency
Jitender Pal Singh
IFS
J.P. Singh in 2025
Ambassador of India to Israel
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 2025
PresidentDroupadi Murmu
Prime MinisterNarendra Modi
Preceded bySanjeev Singla
Consul General of India in Istanbul, Turkey
In office
2019–2020
PresidentRam Nath Kovind
Prime MinisterNarendra Modi
Preceded byAzar A.H. Khan
Succeeded bySudhi Choudhary
Deputy High Commissioner of India to Pakistan
In office
2014–2019
PresidentPranab Mukherjee
Ram Nath Kovind
Prime MinisterNarendra Modi
Personal details
BornJitender Pal Singh
India
SpouseMarried
Children1 (son)
Occupation
  • Civil servant
  • Diplomat
RankJoint Secretary

Jitender Pal Singh, commonly referred to as J. P. Singh, is an Indian diplomat from the 2002 batch of the Indian Foreign Service. He is currently serving as the Ambassador of India to Israel. He has held several senior diplomatic and policy positions in India and abroad, particularly dealing with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Russia and Turkey.[1][2]

Early life and education

Jitender Pal Singh was born in India. He is a postgraduate in Sociology. He qualified the Civil Services Examination and joined the Indian Foreign Service in 2002.[3]

Diplomatic career

Third Secretary in Moscow, Russia

After joining the Indian Foreign Service, Singh completed his training from LBSNAA in Mussoorie and SSIFS in New Delhi, he went to Moscow for the Russian language training in Moscow State University as a Third Secretary in Russia.[4]

Second Secretary in Moscow, Russia

His early overseas postings included service at the Embassy of India in Moscow from 2004 to 2006.[5]

First Secretary in Kabul, Afghanistan

During 2008 to 2012 he was posted at the Embassy of India in Kabul, where he served in different diplomatic capacities. During his tenure in Kabul, he survived the terrorist attack on the Indian Embassy in Kabul in 2008.[6][7]

Deputy High Commissioner to Pakistan

From 2014 to 2019, Singh served as the Deputy High Commissioner of India to Pakistan, based in Islamabad, handling key aspects of India–Pakistan bilateral relations, including the diplomatic fallout from major cross‑border terror incidents and tensions such as the 2016 Uri attack and 2019 Pulwama attack. He also assisted Indian nationals in distress, including the high-profile Uzma Ahmed case.[8]

Consul General of India in Istanbul, Turkey

He was subsequently appointed as the Consul General of India in Istanbul, Turkey, serving from 2019 to 2020.[9]

Joint Secretary in PAI (Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran) Division, MEA, New Delhi

At the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi, Singh worked in the Europe West Division and served as Officer on Special Duty in the External Publicity Division. From 2020 to 2025, he served as Joint Secretary in the Pakistan–Afghanistan–Iran (PAI) Division, where he was responsible for policy formulation and diplomatic engagement relating to India’s relations with Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran. During this period, he was also involved in cautious outreach and engagement related to evolving developments in neighbouring Afghanistan, contributing to India’s evolving diplomatic presence there and laying groundwork for re-establishing the full diplomatic mission in 2025.[10][11][12][13]

He also served as the Chief of Staff to the External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar from 2024 to 2025.[14]

Operation Ganga

During the Russia–Ukraine conflict in 2022, he was deployed to Sumy along with fellow diplomat G. Balasubramanian to assist in the rescue of Indian students under Operation Ganga, operating in the midst of the warzone.[15][16][17]

Ambassador of India to Israel

In January 2025, Jitender Pal Singh was appointed as the Ambassador of India to Israel.[18][19]

His tenure has coincided with close strategic, political and security cooperation between India and Israel. During this period, Singh has overseen India’s diplomatic engagement during the Iran–Israel war, with New Delhi calling for restraint and de-escalation while maintaining balanced relations with both sides.[20][21][22]

During his tenure, on 25 February 2026, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi visited Israel after nine years and met Benjamin Netanyahu, where he also addressed the Knesset.[23]

Both sides discussed expanding cooperation in areas such as defence technology, cybersecurity, agriculture technology and innovation, and signed a Special Strategic Partnership.[24][25]

Following the visit, tensions in the 2026 Iran war escalated from 28 February when Iran launched attacks against Israel and military bases of the United States in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.[26]

The Government of India condemned the attacks and called for restraint in the Middle East. The Indian Embassy in Tel-Aviv also issued an advisory urging the Indian diaspora and citizens in Israel to remain vigilant and follow instructions from local authorities.[27][28]

Personal life

Jitender Pal Singh is married, and the couple have a son. He speaks English, Hindi and Russian. He is known to maintain a low public profile.[29]

  • In the film The Diplomat, the character of J. P. Singh was portrayed by John Abraham. The film depicts his role in the Uzma Ahmed case and his management of India–Pakistan tensions.[30][31]

See also

References

  1. ^ "J.P. Singh - Ambassador of India to Israel". Embassy of India, Israel. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  2. ^ "Who is JP Singh, India's envoy to Israel, MEA's 'go‑to' diplomat in times of crisis". Firstpost. 20 June 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  3. ^ "Meet JP Sir, the IFS officer who inspired John Abraham's The Diplomat". Mint. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  4. ^ "Career of JP Singh, Indian Foreign Service Officer". LiveMint. 5 March 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  5. ^ "Meet the IFS officer who saved an Indian girl from a forced marriage in Pakistan". The Times of India. 18 March 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  6. ^ "Israeli Foreign Ministry tweet on blast". X. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  7. ^ "Taliban attacks Indian mission in Kabul; 12 killed". India Today. 7 October 2009.
  8. ^ "JP Singh: India ambassador to Israel, The Diplomat, John Abraham, Taliban bombings, Uzma Ahmed rescue, IFS officer". News18. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  9. ^ "Former Consuls General – Consulate General of India, Istanbul". Consulate General of India, Istanbul, Türkiye. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  10. ^ "Next Indian envoy to Israel is MEA's point‑person for Iran, Pakistan, special envoy to Afghanistan". The Hindu. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  11. ^ "Upgradation of the Technical Mission of India in Kabul to Embassy of India". Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. 21 October 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  12. ^ "For the first time, Taliban‑appointed diplomat arrives to take charge of Afghan embassy in India". The Hindu. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  13. ^ "India to reopen embassy in Kabul after 4‑year hiatus amid new Taliban ties". Al Jazeera. 10 October 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  14. ^ "In a first, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar talks to Taliban's acting Foreign Minister Muttaqi". The Hindu. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  15. ^ "Stuck in varsity at Ukraine's Sumy city, 600 Indian students await evacuation amid shortage of food, water". The Hindu. 2 March 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  16. ^ "Students evacuated from Sumy via humanitarian corridor". University World News. 9 March 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  17. ^ "Jaishankar's statement on deploying two diplomats into a war zone to rescue Indian students". Lallantop. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  18. ^ "Jitender Pal Singh is India's new envoy to Israel". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  19. ^ "Shri. Jitender Pal Singh appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the State of Israel". Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. 24 January 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  20. ^ "Israel, India must institutionalize ties further, envoy J.P. Singh tells 'Post' conference". The Jerusalem Post. 16 September 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  21. ^ "Senior Diplomat JP Singh Appointed India's New Ambassador To Israel". NDTV. 24 January 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  22. ^ "Afghanistan-Pakistan veteran appointed envoy to Israel". The Times of India. 25 January 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  23. ^ "Modi in Israel live: India's PM meets Netanyahu and addresses Knesset". Al Jazeera English. 25 February 2026. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  24. ^ "India–Israel Joint Statement (February 26, 2026)". Ministry of External Affairs (India). 26 February 2026. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  25. ^ "India-Israel ties deepen as Narendra Modi visits Benjamin Netanyahu". The New York Times. 4 July 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  26. ^ "Ayatollah Ali Khamenei assassination: How US's CIA, Israel's Mossad planned and killed Iran's Supreme Leader". The Indian Express. 3 March 2026. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  27. ^ "As War Expands, Iran, Turkey, India and Russia Face a New Geopolitical Reality". The New York Times. 5 March 2026. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  28. ^ "PM condemns Gulf strikes, says working to protect Indians". The Times of India. 3 March 2026. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  29. ^ "Who is IFS J.P. Singh, the real-life diplomat who inspired The Diplomat?". Indian Masterminds. 17 March 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  30. ^ "John Abraham's The Diplomat true story: How India envoy J.P. Singh rescued Uzma Ahmed from Pakistan". WIONews. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  31. ^ "'The Diplomat' teaser: John Abraham as IFS officer J.P. Singh delves into the world of international politics". NDTV. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
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