In a surprise move, the government has appointed Dr. S. Jaishankar as the new Foreign Secretary, replacing Sujatha Singh about seven months before her tenure comes to an end. Sources say that Mr. Jaishankar was chosen for his role in rebuilding India-U.S. ties after the Devyani Khobragade incident, capped by the visit of U.S. President Barack Obama to New Delhi this week.

Senior officials told The Hindu that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been particularly impressed by Mr. Jaishankar’s handling of his visit to the U.S. in September and had been keen to retain him. He was due to retire on January 31 this year, which pushed the timing of the decision.

Mr. Jaishankar is in Delhi for consultations after the Obama visit, and while confirming the news to The Hindu, made no comment.