Indian-origin Paul Kapur takes charge as top US diplomat for South and Central Asia

Published on Authored by C to I News Desk

Indian-American security and foreign policy expert Paul Kapur has officially taken charge as the Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, a key diplomatic position under the Donald Trump administration.

Paul Kapur in an Indian-origin person.
Paul Kapur at his swearing-in ceremony. Photo courtesy: x.com/State_SCA

His appointment marks a significant addition to the administration’s team managing policy in a strategically important region that includes India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia.

The State Department confirmed his swearing-in through a post on X, stating, “Welcome to @State_SCA, Assistant Secretary Paul Kapur! This morning Dr. Kapur was officially sworn in as the Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs.”

Kapur succeeds Donald Lu, who held the position from September 2021 until January 2025. He had previously served on the State Department’s Policy Planning Staff between 2020 and 2021, where he focused on South and Central Asia, Indo-Pacific strategy, and India-US relations. Over the years, he has also led several high-level defence dialogues and Track 1.5 discussions between the United States and India.

Apart from his government service, Kapur is a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution and a professor at the US Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He was confirmed to his new position in early October following a Senate vote that also approved Sergio Gor as the US Ambassador to India.

During his Senate confirmation hearing in June, Kapur spoke about his personal connection to the region and his long association with US-India relations. “I can’t avoid the feeling of having come full circle. I was born in New Delhi, to an Indian father and an American mother. Although I visited India often during my childhood, I grew up in the United States as a thoroughly American kid, never imagining that my career would someday return me to the place where I was born,” he said.

Kapur emphasised the growing convergence of interests between Washington and New Delhi. “The United States and India share a host of common interests: ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific region, which is not dominated by China; expanding bilateral trade, building our economic relationship so that it is more symmetrical and profitable; facilitating technology sharing and innovation; and ensuring access to the energy necessary to fuel our economies,” he noted.

He also commented on the US approach to Pakistan, saying that he would “pursue security cooperation where beneficial to US interests.”

The Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs plays a central role in shaping US diplomatic and security policy in the region, covering issues ranging from counterterrorism and defence partnerships to trade, connectivity, and energy cooperation. Kapur’s appointment comes at a time when the United States continues to deepen its engagement with South Asia while balancing competition in the wider Indo-Pacific region.