Overview
- The State Department said he was officially sworn in on October 22 as head of the South and Central Asia bureau.
- He will oversee U.S. diplomatic engagement across India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, and the Central Asian republics.
- He succeeds Donald Lu, who served from 2021 through January 2025.
- The Senate confirmed his appointment earlier in October in President Donald Trump’s administration.
- A New Delhi–born academic known for pro–U.S.–India views and critiques of Pakistan’s militant proxies, he previously served on State’s Policy Planning Staff and has written extensively on militancy and nuclear strategy.