International media coverage of the death of Manmohan Singh was as exhaustive as their Indian counterparts, reflecting the impact the former Prime Minister made on the global stage without any of the fanfare attached to the foreign visits of his successor Narendra Modi.

In his biggest compliment to Singh since becoming the external affairs minister, S. Jaishankar equated his foreign policy interventions to his economic reforms. “While regarded as the architect of Indian economic reforms, he was equally responsible for the strategic corrections to our foreign policy,” Jaishankar, who had worked closely with Singh as an IFS officer, posted on X.

The India-US nuclear deal is seen as the crown jewel of Singh’s diplomacy. Few today acknowledge that the foundation of some of the pillars of Indian diplomacy under Modi — first responder in the immediate neighbourhood and beyond, aid provider instead of being a recipient, Quad, Brics, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation — were laid under his watch.

Singh died on the 20th anniversary of the tsunami, a crisis that he had used to change India’s image as an aid recipient. This was somewhat reversed by the Modi government during the Covid pandemic to source oxygen and medicines.

In 2004, India not only refused aid but the UPA government also put together a mammoth exercise to join the international effort to provide disaster relief to the affected countries. The Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR) traces its origins in India to this as does Quad though this was abandoned in 2007 to be resurrected a decade later and elevated to leadership level in the following years. The government today does not tire of talking about the aid it has sent out during crises and how it has become a cornerstone of Indian diplomacy but essentially it is as much a UPA legacy as is the RTI, NREGA, National Food Security Act or Aadhaar.

Singh also built on the foreign policies initiated by his predecessors Atal Bihari Vajpayee and P.V. Narasimha Rao. All three, according to Shiv Shankar Menon — who was the national security adviser for much of the Singh years — “brought abundant intellectual capital to the task of remaking India’s policies to fit the changed situation” of the post-Cold War world.

“There was remarkable continuity in policy among these three prime ministers, with each building on his predecessor’s work and all acknowledging each other’s contributions,’’ Menon writes in his book Choices: Inside the Making of India’s Foreign Policy.

The global response to Singh’s passing, therefore, was quite similar to that of Vajpayee in 2019. “Dr Singh was one of the greatest champions of the US-India strategic partnership, and his work laid the foundation for much of what our countries have accomplished together in the past two decades. His leadership in advancing the US-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement signified a major investment in the potential of the US-India relationship,” said US secretary of state Anthony Blinken in his condolence message.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim recalled how “during the years of my incarceration, he extended a kindness that he didn’t have to — one that was neither politically expedient nor, as one can imagine, appreciated by the Malaysian government at that time. Yet, true to his character, he did it anyway. He offered scholarships for my children… In those dark days, as I navigated the labyrinth of imprisonment, he stood by me as a true friend. Such acts of quiet magnanimity defined him, and they will remain etched in my heart forever”.

Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown remembered him as the “incorruptible former Indian Prime Minister who helped the world through the global financial crisis and as a friend whose integrity could never be doubted”.

Brazilian President Luís Inácio Lula da Silva recalled how Singh was involved in the creation of IBSA, bringing together Brazil, South Africa and India, and in the founding of Brics.

“India has lost a great man, and France a true friend, in the person of Dr Manmohan Singh,” French President Emmanuel Macron posted on X.

Russian President described Singh as an “outstanding statesman”. “He also made a major personal contribution to strengthening friendly ties between our two countries by elevating them to the level of a special privileged strategic partnership,” he added.

The European Union described him as a genuine friend whose legacy “will endure as a key architect of India’s economic miracle and rise on the global stage, and as a man of dialogue and compassion”.

Pakistan’s foreign minister Ishaq Dar said: “Dr Singh demonstrated commitment to promoting regional peace. His approach to regional issues reflected his belief that mutual understanding, dialogue and cooperation were essential for collective progress. He played a notable role in improving Pakistan-India bilateral relations during his tenure as Prime Minister.”

In many ways, Singh shared Vajpayee’s desire to make peace with Pakistan so that the region could progress but both were stung by Pakistan’s deep state and its machinations.