Third Secretary in Moscow, Russia After joining the Indian Foreign Service, Singh completed his training from
LBSNAA in
Mussoorie and
SSIFS in New Delhi, he went to
Moscow for the
Russian language training in
Moscow State University as a Third Secretary in
Russia.
Second Secretary in Moscow, Russia His early overseas postings included service at the
Embassy of India in Moscow from 2004 to 2006.
First Secretary in Kabul, Afghanistan During 2008 to 2012 he was posted at the
Embassy of India in Kabul, where he served in different diplomatic capacities. During his tenure in Kabul, he survived the
terrorist attack on the Indian Embassy in Kabul in 2008.
Deputy High Commissioner to Pakistan From 2014 to 2019, Singh served as the
Deputy High Commissioner of India to
Pakistan, based in
Islamabad, handling key aspects of
India–Pakistan bilateral relations, including the diplomatic fallout from major cross‑border terror incidents and tensions such as the
2016 Uri attack and
2019 Pulwama attack. He also assisted Indian nationals in distress, including the high-profile
Uzma Ahmed case.
Consul General of India in Istanbul, Turkey He was subsequently appointed as the
Consul General of India in
Istanbul, Turkey, serving from 2019 to 2020.
Joint Secretary in PAI (Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran) Division, MEA, New Delhi At the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi, Singh worked in the Europe West Division and served as Officer on Special Duty in the External Publicity Division. From 2020 to 2025, he served as
Joint Secretary in the Pakistan–Afghanistan–Iran (PAI) Division, where he was responsible for policy formulation and diplomatic engagement relating to India’s relations with Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran. During this period, he was also involved in cautious outreach and engagement related to evolving developments in neighbouring
Afghanistan, contributing to India’s evolving diplomatic presence there and laying groundwork for re-establishing the full diplomatic mission in 2025. He also served as the
Chief of Staff to the
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar from 2024 to 2025.
Operation Ganga During the
Russia–Ukraine conflict in 2022, he was deployed to
Sumy along with fellow diplomat G. Balasubramanian to assist in the rescue of Indian students under
Operation Ganga, operating in the midst of the
warzone.
Ambassador of India to Israel In January 2025, Jitender Pal Singh was appointed as the Ambassador of India to
Israel. His tenure has coincided with close strategic, political and security cooperation between India and Israel. During this period, Singh has overseen India’s diplomatic engagement during the
Iran–Israel war, with
New Delhi calling for restraint and de-escalation while maintaining balanced relations with both sides.
Narendra Modi and the
Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu witnessing the Exchange of MoUs between India and Israel on February 26, 2026; Ambassador J.P. Singh is standing to the left of PM Modi|thumb During his tenure, on 25 February 2026,
Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi visited
Israel after nine years and met
Benjamin Netanyahu, where he also addressed the
Knesset. Both sides discussed expanding cooperation in areas such as defence technology,
cybersecurity,
agriculture technology and
innovation, and signed a
Special Strategic Partnership. Following the visit, tensions in the
2026 Iran war escalated from 28 February when
Iran launched attacks against Israel and
military bases of the
United States in the
United Arab Emirates,
Saudi Arabia,
Qatar,
Bahrain and
Kuwait. The
Government of India condemned the attacks and called for restraint in the
Middle East. The Indian Embassy in
Tel-Aviv also issued an advisory urging the
Indian diaspora and citizens in Israel to remain vigilant and follow instructions from local authorities. ==Personal life==