 "Indian-American Paul Kapur, Trump's pick for key South Asia role, vows to focus on US-India ‘partnership’")
Paul Kapur, US President Donald Trump’s nominee for a key role in South Asia, has highlighted that India and the United States share mutual goals, including maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region free from Chinese dominance. He also stressed the need to boost trade, enhance technology sharing, and improve energy access between the two nations.
Kapur has been nominated for the role of Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, a top diplomatic position that caters for US interests vis-a-vis India and its neighbourhood — including Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
On June 10, during his nomination hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Kapur stressed that he would pursue a security and strategic partnership with India, keeping in mind the best interests of America. He said he would “pursue security cooperation where it is beneficial to the US interest, seeking opportunities for bilateral collaboration in trade and investment".
“If confirmed, I will work to further advance US-India relations and put our partnership on course to realise its tremendous promise,” he added.
“We will promote long-standing security interests with India, Pakistan through the pursuit of peace and stability and fight against terrorism," Kapur said.
More about Paul Kapur
In February 2025, President Trump nominated Paul Kapur for Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs. If confirmed, Kapur would replace Donald Lu, whose term ended on January 17, 2025. Renowned for his research on South Asian security and nuclear policy, Kapur is a professor in the Department of National Security Affairs at the US Naval Postgraduate School.
He has also significantly influenced US foreign policy on South and Central Asia. Kapur earned his BA from Amherst College and his PhD from the University of Chicago.
According to some media reports, Kapur has authored several influential works on South Asian security, nuclear policy, and international relations.
His books include Jihad as Grand Strategy: Islamist Militancy, National Security, and the Pakistani State (Oxford University Press, 2016), Dangerous Deterrent: Nuclear Weapons Proliferation and Conflict in South Asia (Stanford University Press, 2007), India, Pakistan, and the Bomb: Debating Nuclear Stability in South Asia (Columbia University Press, 2010), and The Challenges of Nuclear Security: US and Indian Perspectives (Palgrave MacMillan, 2024).
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