File photo of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was released from hospital on Wednesday after a longer-than-expected stay for treatment, and will miss a meeting of finance ministers from the Group of 20 nations in Australia next week.
Mr Jaitley was admitted to a private hospital in New Delhi on September 1 for planned surgery to manage a long-standing diabetic condition, and had originally been expected to leave after a few days.
The 61-year-old minister underwent a minimally-invasive gastric bypass procedure, intended to cut appetite and prevent weight gain that is often suffered by those with the condition.
Pardeep Chowbey, the director of the Max Institute hospital where Jaitley was treated, said the procedure had been successful, helping the minister to reduce his weight by 14 kg.
The former lawyer is one of the most powerful figures in t government formed in May by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, holding responsibility for both Finance and Defence.
"The minister will not attend the G20 meeting though he would start attending the cabinet meeting from today itself," said finance ministry spokesman D.S. Malik. The PM was due to chair a routine ministerial meeting on Wednesday evening.
Delivering his maiden budget in July, Mr Jaitley took a break half-way through and gave the second part of his address seated.
Mr Jaitley will be represented at the Sept. 20-21 meeting of G20 finance ministers in Cairns, Australia, by Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who also holds the post of deputy finance minister.
The Group of 20 is the world's main intergovernmental policy forum, bringing together developed and emerging nations that among them account for nine-tenths of global economic output.
© Thomson Reuters 2014