The travels follow the tough message to Indian envoys on building the country’s image at the Heads of Mission conference
Days after a major conference of India’s Ambassadors and High Commissioners, where they were urged to be more “proactive” in projecting India’s message worldwide, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar are kicking off a busy summer season, with travels to different parts of the world and hosting a number of their counterparts from BRICS and Quad groupings, Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Indian Ocean Region, all in this month alone.
On Sunday (May 3, 2026), Mr. Jaishankar arrived in Kingston, Jamaica, at the start of his own nine-day visit to the Caribbean ‘CARICOM’ grouping of countries, and he will also travel to Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar being received by his Jamaican counterpart Kamina J. Smith upon his arrival in Kingston. Photo: X/@DrSJaishankar via PTI.
At the 11th Heads of Missions conference last week (April 28-30), the Prime Minister addressed India’s envoys worldwide, urging them to improve India’s image through more proactive and “positive messaging”. According to a number of officials present, who asked not to be identified, Mr. Modi expressed concern over the “slow speed” in communication, in projecting stories about India, and in reacting to developments in their host countries. Putting a special emphasis on India’s neighbourhood, Mr. Modi referred to his decision to appoint a politician, Dinesh Trivedi, who was present at the conference, as the next High Commissioner to Dhaka and indicated that he was seeking more “anubhavi” (experienced) hands in nearby countries.
While the Press Information Bureau did not release the text of Mr. Modi’s speech, a post by the PM on social media said the discussions focused on “strengthening India’s global engagement through advancing trade, technology and strategic partnerships, while deepening the connect with our diaspora”.
Significantly, the Heads of Mission conference was held almost annually in the previous decade. However, after a break during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 10th Heads of Mission meeting was held in October 2022, and the 11th conference was held in April 2026, nearly four years later. In the interim, the External Affairs Minister and Foreign Secretary addressed Regional Heads of Mission conferences in different parts of the world.
The Prime Minister’s first major visitor this month will be Vietnamese President To Lam (May 5-7), who has travelled to Washington and Beijing in the last few months, and will be in Delhi to discuss strengthening the India-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership that was upgraded in 2016, with talks on defence cooperation, trade, and critical technologies. The Ministry of External Affairs will also host the ‘Indian Ocean Dialogue’, a track 1.5 (officials and academics) of the 23-nation Indian Ocean Rim Association, in Delhi (May 7-8), where the war and the Hormuz Strait blockades are expected to be at the top of the agenda.
When Mr. Jaishankar returns from the three-nation Caribbean tour, he will prepare for the BRICS Ministers meeting in May (14-15), where he has invited counterparts from Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, and Indonesia. Previous rounds of BRICS meetings have been disrupted by the war in West Asia, and a joint statement was elusive at the meeting of Deputy Ministers and Special Envoys due to deep differences between the “parties to the conflict”, Iran and the UAE, as well as opposition to India’s moves on softening the language on the Israel-Palestine issues and the Gaza conflict.
The Prime Minister will then travel to Europe for a five-nation tour to the Netherlands Sweden, Norway, Italy, and the Vatican (May 15-20). In Oslo, Mr. Modi will also attend the Nordic-India Summit with the leaders of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. With the European Free Trade Association in operation and the EU-India Free Trade Agreement finalised, both sides are discussing partnerships in strategic and defence areas as well, and talks are also expected to focus on green technology transition and innovation with AI and quantum computing during the visit.
However, the war in West Asia, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, and ties with the United States are expected to overshadow the meetings. Mr. Modi is also expected to stop over at the UAE, his first visit to the region since the war began, after his visit to Israel in late February.
Later this month, the outreaches will continue, with a visit from Cyprus President Christodoulides to Mumbai and Delhi (May 20-23). U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to travel to India for his first such visit as Mr. Jaishankar hosts the Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting with his counterparts from the U.S., Japan and Australia (May 26). The India-Africa Summit, to be held after more than a decade, will be one of the year’s major conferences (May 28-30), while later this year, India is due to host the BRICS summit and the Quad Summit as well.
PM Modi, External Affairs Minister on major diplomatic outreach in May
The travels follow the tough message to Indian envoys on building the country’s image at the Heads of Mission conference
Days after a major conference of India’s Ambassadors and High Commissioners, where they were urged to be more “proactive” in projecting India’s message worldwide, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar are kicking off a busy summer season, with travels to different parts of the world and hosting a number of their counterparts from BRICS and Quad groupings, Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Indian Ocean Region, all in this month alone.
On Sunday (May 3, 2026), Mr. Jaishankar arrived in Kingston, Jamaica, at the start of his own nine-day visit to the Caribbean ‘CARICOM’ grouping of countries, and he will also travel to Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar being received by his Jamaican counterpart Kamina J. Smith upon his arrival in Kingston. Photo: X/@DrSJaishankar via PTI.
At the 11th Heads of Missions conference last week (April 28-30), the Prime Minister addressed India’s envoys worldwide, urging them to improve India’s image through more proactive and “positive messaging”. According to a number of officials present, who asked not to be identified, Mr. Modi expressed concern over the “slow speed” in communication, in projecting stories about India, and in reacting to developments in their host countries. Putting a special emphasis on India’s neighbourhood, Mr. Modi referred to his decision to appoint a politician, Dinesh Trivedi, who was present at the conference, as the next High Commissioner to Dhaka and indicated that he was seeking more “anubhavi” (experienced) hands in nearby countries.
While the Press Information Bureau did not release the text of Mr. Modi’s speech, a post by the PM on social media said the discussions focused on “strengthening India’s global engagement through advancing trade, technology and strategic partnerships, while deepening the connect with our diaspora”.
Significantly, the Heads of Mission conference was held almost annually in the previous decade. However, after a break during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 10th Heads of Mission meeting was held in October 2022, and the 11th conference was held in April 2026, nearly four years later. In the interim, the External Affairs Minister and Foreign Secretary addressed Regional Heads of Mission conferences in different parts of the world.
The Prime Minister’s first major visitor this month will be Vietnamese President To Lam (May 5-7), who has travelled to Washington and Beijing in the last few months, and will be in Delhi to discuss strengthening the India-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership that was upgraded in 2016, with talks on defence cooperation, trade, and critical technologies. The Ministry of External Affairs will also host the ‘Indian Ocean Dialogue’, a track 1.5 (officials and academics) of the 23-nation Indian Ocean Rim Association, in Delhi (May 7-8), where the war and the Hormuz Strait blockades are expected to be at the top of the agenda.
When Mr. Jaishankar returns from the three-nation Caribbean tour, he will prepare for the BRICS Ministers meeting in May (14-15), where he has invited counterparts from Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, and Indonesia. Previous rounds of BRICS meetings have been disrupted by the war in West Asia, and a joint statement was elusive at the meeting of Deputy Ministers and Special Envoys due to deep differences between the “parties to the conflict”, Iran and the UAE, as well as opposition to India’s moves on softening the language on the Israel-Palestine issues and the Gaza conflict.
The Prime Minister will then travel to Europe for a five-nation tour to the Netherlands Sweden, Norway, Italy, and the Vatican (May 15-20). In Oslo, Mr. Modi will also attend the Nordic-India Summit with the leaders of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. With the European Free Trade Association in operation and the EU-India Free Trade Agreement finalised, both sides are discussing partnerships in strategic and defence areas as well, and talks are also expected to focus on green technology transition and innovation with AI and quantum computing during the visit.
However, the war in West Asia, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, and ties with the United States are expected to overshadow the meetings. Mr. Modi is also expected to stop over at the UAE, his first visit to the region since the war began, after his visit to Israel in late February.
Later this month, the outreaches will continue, with a visit from Cyprus President Christodoulides to Mumbai and Delhi (May 20-23). U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to travel to India for his first such visit as Mr. Jaishankar hosts the Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting with his counterparts from the U.S., Japan and Australia (May 26). The India-Africa Summit, to be held after more than a decade, will be one of the year’s major conferences (May 28-30), while later this year, India is due to host the BRICS summit and the Quad Summit as well.
PM Modi, External Affairs Minister on major diplomatic outreach in May
The travels follow the tough message to Indian envoys on building the country’s image at the Heads of Mission conference
Days after a major conference of India’s Ambassadors and High Commissioners, where they were urged to be more “proactive” in projecting India’s message worldwide, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar are kicking off a busy summer season, with travels to different parts of the world and hosting a number of their counterparts from BRICS and Quad groupings, Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Indian Ocean Region, all in this month alone.
On Sunday (May 3, 2026), Mr. Jaishankar arrived in Kingston, Jamaica, at the start of his own nine-day visit to the Caribbean ‘CARICOM’ grouping of countries, and he will also travel to Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar being received by his Jamaican counterpart Kamina J. Smith upon his arrival in Kingston. Photo: X/@DrSJaishankar via PTI.
At the 11th Heads of Missions conference last week (April 28-30), the Prime Minister addressed India’s envoys worldwide, urging them to improve India’s image through more proactive and “positive messaging”. According to a number of officials present, who asked not to be identified, Mr. Modi expressed concern over the “slow speed” in communication, in projecting stories about India, and in reacting to developments in their host countries. Putting a special emphasis on India’s neighbourhood, Mr. Modi referred to his decision to appoint a politician, Dinesh Trivedi, who was present at the conference, as the next High Commissioner to Dhaka and indicated that he was seeking more “anubhavi” (experienced) hands in nearby countries.
While the Press Information Bureau did not release the text of Mr. Modi’s speech, a post by the PM on social media said the discussions focused on “strengthening India’s global engagement through advancing trade, technology and strategic partnerships, while deepening the connect with our diaspora”.
Significantly, the Heads of Mission conference was held almost annually in the previous decade. However, after a break during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 10th Heads of Mission meeting was held in October 2022, and the 11th conference was held in April 2026, nearly four years later. In the interim, the External Affairs Minister and Foreign Secretary addressed Regional Heads of Mission conferences in different parts of the world.
The Prime Minister’s first major visitor this month will be Vietnamese President To Lam (May 5-7), who has travelled to Washington and Beijing in the last few months, and will be in Delhi to discuss strengthening the India-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership that was upgraded in 2016, with talks on defence cooperation, trade, and critical technologies. The Ministry of External Affairs will also host the ‘Indian Ocean Dialogue’, a track 1.5 (officials and academics) of the 23-nation Indian Ocean Rim Association, in Delhi (May 7-8), where the war and the Hormuz Strait blockades are expected to be at the top of the agenda.
When Mr. Jaishankar returns from the three-nation Caribbean tour, he will prepare for the BRICS Ministers meeting in May (14-15), where he has invited counterparts from Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, and Indonesia. Previous rounds of BRICS meetings have been disrupted by the war in West Asia, and a joint statement was elusive at the meeting of Deputy Ministers and Special Envoys due to deep differences between the “parties to the conflict”, Iran and the UAE, as well as opposition to India’s moves on softening the language on the Israel-Palestine issues and the Gaza conflict.
The Prime Minister will then travel to Europe for a five-nation tour to the Netherlands Sweden, Norway, Italy, and the Vatican (May 15-20). In Oslo, Mr. Modi will also attend the Nordic-India Summit with the leaders of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. With the European Free Trade Association in operation and the EU-India Free Trade Agreement finalised, both sides are discussing partnerships in strategic and defence areas as well, and talks are also expected to focus on green technology transition and innovation with AI and quantum computing during the visit.
However, the war in West Asia, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, and ties with the United States are expected to overshadow the meetings. Mr. Modi is also expected to stop over at the UAE, his first visit to the region since the war began, after his visit to Israel in late February.
Later this month, the outreaches will continue, with a visit from Cyprus President Christodoulides to Mumbai and Delhi (May 20-23). U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to travel to India for his first such visit as Mr. Jaishankar hosts the Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting with his counterparts from the U.S., Japan and Australia (May 26). The India-Africa Summit, to be held after more than a decade, will be one of the year’s major conferences (May 28-30), while later this year, India is due to host the BRICS summit and the Quad Summit as well.
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