ambition."

The need for a well-staffed Foreign Ministry in New Delhi is growing only more urgent, particularly as US President Donald Trump's administration emphasises outreach to the Indo-Pacific region in a bid to elevate India as a counterweight to China.

New Delhi has started to take a leading role in pushing back against China's Belt and Road Initiative, which is encroaching on India's South Asian backyard.

940 Number of foreign service officers in India, one of the most understaffed diplomatic corps of any major country - just slightly higher than New Zealand's 885, or Singapore's 850.

India also has many unfinished goals. It is angling for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council and membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group, while trying to defend the global mobility of its ITworkers overseas as protectionism rises.

With roughly 940 foreign service officers, India has one of the most understaffed diplomatic corps of any major country - just slightly higher than New Zealand's 885 officers, or Singapore's 850.

India is vastly outnumbered by the Japanese and Australian services of around 6,000 people, the estimated 7,500 diplomats of China and the US State Department's service of nearly 14,000.

The Indian Foreign Ministry is aware of the shortage and it is working to bolster staffing, according to a government official.

It has increased recruitment to around 35 new officers annually and borrowed defence and economic experts from other ministries, the official said.

In 2016, the ministry said it was still 140 officers short of its sanctioned strength of 912 diplomats.

Many Indian embassies also have only one ambassador