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The bureaucrat-turned-politician from Bihar, who swapped places with Jaswant Singh, also has to deal with Indo-Pak tensions.
From the economic terms he is very familiar with. The 65-year-old minister has to now ride with caution on the bumpy diplomatic track where nuances, reading between the lines and even body language mean a lot.
But those close to Sinha, who was born in Patna on November 6, 1937, confidently say that he will smoothly steer the sensitive ministry and touch new heights with aplomb.
Sinha will also have to develop personal rapport with world leaders, an advantage Singh had as India, after a lot of hard work, was able to convince the international community that Pakistan was aiding and abetting infiltration and cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of India.
Joining the Indian Administrative Service in 1960, Sinha spent over 24 years holding important posts. He resigned as joint secretary in the surface transport ministry and joined politics.
Taking forward the new warmth in relations with the US and its allies, further consolidating ties with a number of key countries and forging closer linkages with neighbouring countries will be areas where Sinha will have to focus, analysts said.
Known at times to be too blunt, Sinha, who is widely travelled and played crucial roles in many tough negotiations, has a job that calls for dexterity.
PTI
The Complete Coverage: Cabinet Reshuffle 2002
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