* India maintains 199 diplomatic missions across the globe
* Four Muslims among 29 ambassadors to the US
* No Muslims among Permanent Representatives to WTO
* Two Muslims among 23 representatives to the UN
AS of mid-2025, India has had 130 Muslims among its 2,070 Ambassadors, High Commissioners, and Permanent Representatives to UN bodies, according to a new book by Mohammed Abdul Mannan, At the Bottom of the Ladder: State of the Indian Muslims – https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0GF1Q9R25 – which quantifies Muslim presence in 150 key organisations, including Union ministries, departments, and other organisations.
India has diplomatic relations with 201 states/dependencies around the globe, and maintains 199 diplomatic missions and posts. It plans to open new missions hosted by 11 UN member-states.
A Federal Service Commission recruited 89 officials, kickstarting the Ministry of External Affairs in 1947. Today, India has one of the most understaffed diplomatic forces in the world.
Based on 2014 calculations, there are about 2,700 ‘diplomatic rank’ officers in overseas missions and at New Delhi. India currently has 1,400 diplomatic officials. As of March 2021, there were 996 Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officials working in diplomatic missions.
Additionally, there are 252 Grade-I officers of IFS (B) General Cadre who, after promotion, get inducted into IFS (A). In the IFS (B) General Cadre, there are 635 Attaches at diplomatic missions. The intake into the IFS has averaged between 30 and 35 persons annually.
The diplomatic missions play a crucial role in developing and expanding bilateral relations in various domains. Over 44 million people of Indian origin live and work abroad. India’s foreign policy has been to ensure their welfare and well-being within the framework of the laws of the country of their residence. India’s foreign policy has gone through different phases during the tenures of prime ministers from different political parties.
Afghanistan had seen nine ambassadors, including one Muslim, Mohammed Hamid Ansari (1989-90), who later became the Vice President of India. Algeria had seen 19 ambassadors, including two Muslims – Mohammed Yousuf (1967-71) and Syed Shahabuddin (1973-75).
Ambassadors to Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan had not seen any Muslim till now out of 20 ambassadors in total. Angola had seen one Muslim, Mohammed Afzal (2005-07), out of India’s 12 ambassadors.
Argentina had Nawab Ali Yavar Jung Bahadur as ambassador from 1952-53, one of the 24 that India had to that country. Australia had seen 30 ambassadors, of whom two were Muslims – Mohammed Hamed Ansari (1985-89) and AM Khalili (1992-95). There had been no Muslim among the 26 ambassadors to Austria, Montenegro, and the Holy See and Permanent Mission to International Organisations in Vienna. None of the 16 ambassadors to Bahrain had been a Muslim. Among the 27 ambassadors to Belgium, Luxembourg, and the European Union, two had been Muslims- BHFG Tyabji (1948-50) and M Abdul Rauf (1958-1961).
Ten ambassadors to Brunei Darussalam included one Muslim, Nagma Mohammed Mallick (2015-18). While there had been no Muslim among the 18 ambassadors to Bangladesh, Bhutan had one Muslim among 20 ambassadors – Salman Haidar from 1980-83. He became India’s Foreign Secretary in March 1995 and held the position until June 1997. There had been no Muslim in Botswana among the 11 ambassadors, or as is the case with Belarus, with 11 ambassadors, or 20 to Chile, or three each to Cameroon and Congo.
Brazil had seen a Muslim among its 24 Indian ambassadors – Ishrat Aziz (1996-98). Belize had also seen a Muslim, Mohammed Chagla, from 1958 to 1961, who was also the only Muslim ambassador among 25 to Cuba. Canada had seen two Muslims out of 28 Indian ambassadors – Dr. MA Rauf (1954-58) and Mahboob Ahmed (1977-78). Salman Haider had been among the 26 ambassadors to China since 1950.
None of the 22 ambassadors of India to Czechia (the Czech Republic) had been a Muslim. Croatia, Cyprus, and Côte d’Ivoire have not seen any Muslim among the 41 ambassadors in total to these countries. Ghana also had no Muslim among the 22 Indian ambassadors. The same had been the scene with 26 ambassadors in total to Ethiopia and Eritrea. Guyana and Iceland also had not seen any Muslim among the 24 Egypt had seen four Muslims among 26 ambassadors – Syed Hossain (1947-49), A Fayzi (1949-52), Nawab Ali Yawar Jung (1954-58) and Mohammed Azin Hussain (1960-64). There have been three Muslims among 27 ambassadors to France and the Principality of Monaco – Nawab Ali Yawar Jung (1961), Air Chief Marshal Idris Hassan Latif (1985), and Jawed Ashraf (July 2020).
A similar number of Muslims were among 26 ambassadors to Germany – Badruddin Tyabji (1958), M A Rahman (1975), and Prof Ali Mohammed Khusro (1980). One of the 14 ambassadors to Greece has been a Muslim, Aftab Seth, in 1992. One had been a Muslim among six ambassadors to Guatemala (also accredited to El Salvador and Honduras – B S Mubarak (2018). Six of the 27 ambassadors to Iran had been Muslims – Syed Ali Zaheer, Badruddin Tyabji, MRA Baig, MA Rahman, AM Khalili, and Mohammed Hamed Ansari, the last being in 1990.
Iraq had seen 21 ambassadors of whom three had been Muslims – Saadat Ali Khan, Mahboob Ahmed, and Arif Qamarain. Ireland had seen 26 ambassadors, of whom one had been a Muslim – Mohammed Chagla, in 1962. Twenty-six ambassadors to Indonesia included two Muslims – Badruddin Tyabji and Mohammed Ahmed. No Muslim among 10 ambassadors to Israel, or 19 to North Korea, or 22 to Japan.
There has been no Muslim among the 16 ambassadors to Jamaica who were also concurrently accredited to the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, and British Virgin Islands. Also, Kenya had no Muslim ambassador among 28 from India, as is the case with Laos, which had 22. South Korea had seen one Muslim ambassador, SM Agha (1974), out of 15 ambassadors.
Jordan had one Muslim among 20 ambassadors – Anwar Haleem (2019). Kazakhstan had seen a Muslim ambassador from India – Dr Syed Raza Hashimi (2000). Kuwait had seen 19 ambassadors, of whom two were Muslims – VA Kidwai (1971) and RA Khan (1974). Lebanon had seen 21 ambassadors, of whom two were Muslims – Nawab Ali Yavar Jung (1954) and MA Hussain (1960). Ambassadors to Madagascar and Comoros, Mali and Mauritania, and Malawi had not seen any Muslim among the 31 Indian ambassadors.
Malaysia had seen 21 ambassadors, of whom two were Muslims – MK Kidwai (1964) and MA Rahman (1967). Maldives, Mauritius, Mongolia, and Morocco had not seen any Muslim among the 77 Indian ambassadors. Similar had been the scene with Namibia, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Nigeria, which collectively had 106 ambassadors from India.
Myanmar had a Muslim, Dr MA Rauf (1946), among 25 ambassadors. Three of the 25 ambassadors to Oman had been Muslims – MN Masud (1960), Dr Ishaq Ahmed Sajjad (1983), and Talmiz Ahmed (2003). Pakistan had not seen any Muslim among the 23 Indian ambassadors. Palestine had seen two Muslims – Zikrur-Rahman (2006) and BS Mubarak (2012) – among 12 ambassadors from the republic.
There has been no Muslim among 43 ambassadors from India to Panama (Accredited also to Costa Rica and Nicaragua), Papua New Guinea (concurrently accredited to Solomon Islands), and Peru. Also, Portugal had seen no Muslim among the 17 Indian ambassadors. The Philippines had seen two Muslims among 24 Indian ambassadors – Mirza Rashid Ali Baig (1951) and Mohammed Suleiman Sait (1962).
Twenty-one ambassadors to Poland and Lithuania included one Muslim, Nagma Mohammed Mallick. Two ambassadors to Qatar had been Muslims – Prof Syed Basheer Uddin and Dr Ausaf Sayeed. Russia also had seen a Muslim, Prof S Nurul Hassan (1983), among 25 ambassadors from the republic. All 22 ambassadors from India to Saudi Arabia were Muslims.
AH Safrani has been the only Muslim among 18 ambassadors to Senegal with concurrent accreditation of The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Cabo Verde. Nineteen ambassadors to Seychelles include a Muslim, Dr Ausaf Sayeed (2017). Nineteen ambassadors to Singapore included a Muslim, Javed Ashraf (2016). Slovak Republic, Slovenia, and South Africa have not seen any Muslim among the 28 ambassadors from the world’s most populous country.
Sudan had seen a Muslim among 11 ambassadors from India – BS Mubarak (2021). South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, and Latvia have no Muslims among the 60 Indian ambassadors.
Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein had seen three Muslims out of 26 ambassadors in the 1950s and 1960s. There had been no Muslim among the 57 ambassadors combined to Tajikistan, Tanzania, and Thailand. Three of the 22 ambassadors to Tunisia had been Muslims.
Türkiye had a Muslim among 27 ambassadors, way back in the 1960s. The UAE and Turkmenistan had seen six Muslims among 27 ambassadors together. There had been no Muslim among the 10 ambassadors to Ukraine, or 10 to Uzbekistan, or 15 to Zambia. Three were Muslims among 28 high commissioners to the UK, the last being in 1980. The US had seen four Muslims among 29 ambassadors from India, the last being in 1990. Two among 18 ambassadors to Vietnam were Muslims.
There were two Muslims among 19 ambassadors/Charge d’affaires to the Holy See-Vatican. Yemen and Zimbabwe had seen one Muslim among 27 ambassadors combined. No Muslim has been among the seven Permanent Representatives to the World Trade Organisation in Geneva, or 25 to the Permanent Mission to the UN Office in Geneva.
However, the Permanent Mission Conference on Disarmament in Geneva had two Muslims among eight heads. The UN has seen two Muslims among 23 representatives in total – Mohammed Hamed Ansari (1993) and Syed Akbaruddin (2016). There have been 15 Muslims among 150 diplomats posted to other missions across the world.
To read and obtain more data, please visit:
At the Bottom of the Ladder: State of the Indian Muslims – https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0GF1Q9R25
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