Considered close to former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi, 75-year-old Singh's taking charge of the high-profile ministry was a foregone conclusion. Earlier, he had served as Indian foreign service officer and held key diplomatic assignments for three decades from 1956. He also served as the minister of state for external affairs during the tenure of Rajiv Gandhi's government.

Born on May 16, 1931, Natwar Singh belongs to that rare breed of politicians who combine the art of diplomacy, politics, erudition and articulation.

A student of history (honours) in Delhi's prestigious St. Stephen's College and later Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, Singh joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1953 and served for 31 years in various important capacities in Beijing, Permanent Mission of India and important UN Committees between 1961 and 1966.

His first ambassadorial assignment was in Poland from 1971 to 1973. He then served as India's deputy high commissioner to the United Kingdom from 1973 to 1977, high commissioner to Zambia from 1977 to 1980 and ambassador to Pakistan from 1980 to 1982.

In 1982, Singh was the secretary general of the Non-Aligned Movement when New Delhi hosted the NAM summit, and the chief coordinator of the Commonwealth summit held at the same place in the same year before becoming a secretary in the Indian foreign ministry.

He quit the foreign service in 1984 and joined the Congress and made his parliamentary debut the same year by becoming a member of the Lok Sabha.

In 1985-86, he was the minister of state for steel, mines and coal and then fertiliser under the agriculture ministry. In 1986-89, he was the minister of state for external affairs.

In 1998-99, Singh again became a member of Lok Sabha and was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2002.

As the external affairs minister, Singh has for the last one year brought on all his diplomatic skills and experiences to bear in pushing the peace process with Pakistan initiated during the previous BJP-led NDA regime and giving a qualitative new dimension to India's relations with the United States as manifested in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's recent clinching of a landmark deal in bilateral cooperation in civilian nuclear power sector.

Apart from politics and diplomacy, Singh is an avid reader of literature and has also authored several books on the subject as well as history. Among his books are 'EM Forster: A Tribute', 'The Legacy of Nehru', 'Tales From Modern India and 'Stories From India', many of which were written when he was posted in New York and London as a diplomat.

Besides, Singh's book reviews have regularly appeared in leading Indian and foreign newspapers and magazines, including The Times of India, Indian Express, Hindustan Times, India Today, Outlook, New York Times, Sunday Times, New Statesman, Saturday Review and Financial Times (London).