Operation Sindoor: Auditing Role and Efficacy of Indian Embassies
All-party delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor in Colombia held a press conference (Image Shashi Tharoor on X)
Reimagining the Role of Indian Diplomacy: More Than Just a Presence Abroad
By Dileep K. Bhat
NEW DELHI, MAY 30, 2025 –Recent events such as Operation Sindoor and the persistent challenge of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism have once again drawn attention to the importance of robust international engagement by India.
But a deeper, more troubling question arises: If India already has embassies, ambassadors, and full-fledged missions in most major countries, why does New Delhi still need to send special delegations to explain its position to global powers?
This question strikes at the core of India’s diplomatic apparatus. Has the role of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) been reduced to ceremonial symbolism rather than being a strategic instrument of statecraft? Are our embassies and missions playing the proactive role expected of them in a changing geopolitical order?
The Gap Between Presence and Purpose
India maintains diplomatic missions in nearly every major capital across the globe. These embassies are supposed to serve as our eyes, ears, and voice abroad.
Ideally, ambassadors should be continuously engaging with foreign governments, think tanks, media, academia, and civil society articulating India’s stance on key issues such as cross-border terrorism, global economic reforms, and regional security.
Yet, when critical developments like Operation Sindoor take place, the responsibility of shaping global opinion still falls on special envoys and senior ministers dispatched from Delhi. This indicates a serious shortfall in initiative, influence, or institutional confidence in our missions abroad.
A Question of Accountability and Effectiveness
The Indian Foreign Service remains one of the most elite civil services in the country. Entry into the IFS is highly competitive, and its officers enjoy considerable prestige. However, a fundamental question must be asked: Is it functioning at the level demanded by a rising power like India?
Over the years, there is a growing perception that many Indian missions abroad have gradually become focused more on protocol than policy organizing national day receptions, managing visa operations, and ensuring their families and children are settled comfortably in overseas postings. The core strategic responsibility of advancing India’s national interests, shaping narratives, and countering misinformation often takes a backseat.
Meanwhile, the Government of India bears substantial financial expenditure on IFS postings, including foreign allowances, international school fees, medical care, housing, and travel for officers and their dependents. Despite this significant investment, critical diplomatic messaging and global outreach often require parallel delegations from Delhi, leading to redundancy, inefficiency, and additional costs.
From Protocol to Purpose
The dispatch of high-level delegations should be the exception-not the default response. These should be reserved for top-tier summits, negotiations, or crisis diplomacy. Routine narrative-building, policy clarification, and public diplomacy must be driven from our missions abroad-this is their core responsibility.
To be fair, there are still many capable and committed diplomats in the IFS who are doing exemplary work. But the system as a whole needs a structural reset. Diplomatic inertia, risk-aversion, and over-reliance on bureaucratic comfort zones are liabilities India can no longer afford.
The Way Forward
To modernize and make our diplomatic service fit for purpose in the 21st century, the following reforms are imperative:
Performance Audits of Missions: Regular evaluations focusing on outreach, policy influence, and engagement with local stakeholders.
Real-Time Communication Protocols: Strengthen coordination between MEA and missions to enable immediate and coherent responses to evolving global narratives.
Strategic Public Diplomacy Training: Reorient IFS officers to become effective communicators, narrative shapers, and issue-based advocates for India on the global stage.
Merit-Based Postings and Promotions: Shift from patronage and seniority-based placements to a system driven by results, competence, and initiative.
Rationalization of Mission Strength: A serious review of mission size and structure is needed. Rather than overstaffed setups with extensive family dependents, India should opt for leaner, high-impact teams that justify their cost through performance.
Reduce Redundancy Through Delegations: Delegation-based diplomacy should not become a parallel mechanism. It leads to avoidable strain on public funds and reflects a lack of faith in existing institutional mechanisms.
Diplomacy That Delivers: In today’s fast-moving geopolitical environment, presence without purpose is a luxury India cannot afford. Our diplomatic corps must evolve from ceremonial caretakers to strategic actors. They must shape perceptions, counter hostile narratives, and foster alliances—all from their respective host nations.
Until such a transformation takes root, Delhi will continue doing the heavy lifting, while our embassies risk becoming passive observers in the countries they are meant to influence.
(This is an opinion piece; views expressed solely belong to the author)
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