<Tr> <Th> Inaugural holder </Th> <Td> Jawaharlal Nehru </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Formation </Th> <Td> 2 September 1946 </Td> </Tr> <P> The Minister of External Affairs (or simply Foreign Minister) is the head of the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India . One of the senior-most offices in the Union Cabinet, the chief responsibility of the Foreign Minister is to represent India and its government in the international community . The Foreign Minister also plays an important role in determining Indian foreign policy . Occasionally, the Foreign Minister is assisted by a Minister of State for External Affairs or the lower - ranked Deputy Minister of External Affairs . </P> <P> India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, also held the Foreign Minister post throughout his 17 - year premiership of the country; he remains the country's longest - serving Foreign Minister . Several other Prime Ministers have since held the additional charge of foreign minister, but never has any other cabinet minister held additional charge of the office . There have been a number of Foreign Ministers who went on to become the Prime Minister like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, P.V. Narasimha Rao and I.K. Gujral . </P>

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