Indian Foreign Services comes second in the civil services exam there are a few who get this coveted service as the number of vacancies is about 10-20 every year. IFS has been trained at Mussoorie, and after training the I.F.S. probationers are attached to the Ministry of External Affairs and have to become conversant in a major foreign language. After this in the second year they are appointed in Indian Embassy/High Commission where that language is spoken and they spend another two years in the same Embassy. After two postings abroad, the I.F.S. Officers are posted in India in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Here major work to be done is to look after India's political, economic and commercial work. In the Selection Grade I.F.S. Officers serve as Counsellors. In very small countries the Indian Ambassador would be in that grade.

In the supertime scale, many I.F.S. Officers become Ambassadors of medium sized countries. In the Additional Secretaries Grade, I.F.S. Officers are made ambassadors in relatively big embassies of Deputy High Commissioner in London. The biggest Indian Embassies / High Commissions like Moscow, Washington and London are headed by Ambassadors of the rank of Secretary.