Washington — India’s Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Kwatra, hosted Paul Kapur, the new U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, for discussions at India House in Washington earlier this week.
The Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs shared a note of appreciation on X, saying, “Thank you @AmbVMKwatra for graciously hosting me at India House last night. Appreciated the opportunity to discuss shared bilateral and regional priorities, including strengthening the U.S.-India relationship. – A/S Paul Kapur.”
Kapur, an Indian American security and foreign policy expert, was sworn in on October 22. His appointment is considered a key position in the Trump administration’s regional strategic framework. He succeeds Donald Lu, who held the post from September 2021 until January 2025.
Before assuming this role, Kapur served on the State Department’s Policy Planning Staff from 2020 to 2021, working on South and Central Asia policy, U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy, and India-U.S. strategic engagement. He has also led Track 1.5 dialogues and other high-level defense discussions between Washington and New Delhi. Outside government, he is affiliated with the Hoover Institution and serves as a professor at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.
Kapur was confirmed by the Senate in early October, alongside Sergio Gor, the newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to India.
During his Senate confirmation hearing, Kapur noted that his personal and professional journey has brought him back to his birthplace. Born in New Delhi to an Indian father and an American mother, he grew up primarily in the United States but maintained close family ties to India. “I can’t avoid the feeling of having come full circle,” he said.
On the broader U.S.-India relationship, Kapur emphasized shared priorities, including maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific, expanding bilateral trade, enhancing technology cooperation, and ensuring reliable access to energy resources. He also stated that the United States would pursue security cooperation with Pakistan where doing so aligns with American interests.
The Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs is responsible for shaping U.S. policy toward a region central to American diplomatic, security, and economic priorities, including counterterrorism cooperation, infrastructure development, and strategic partnerships. (Source: IANS)
