Overview

• The Senate approved 107 nominees in a single en bloc vote, confirming Gor 51–47 during a partial government shutdown.
• Gor retains a concurrent designation as special envoy for South and Central Asia, an unusual consolidation of bilateral and regional roles.
• At his confirmation hearing, he called India a strategic partner and pledged to deepen defense cooperation, expand co-development and defense sales, and advance energy and trade ties.
• Paul Kapur was also confirmed to lead the State Department’s South and Central Asia bureau, setting up parallel leadership alongside the White House–driven envoy structure.
• Gor takes on the portfolio with U.S.–India tensions over tariffs, Russian oil purchases, and visa costs still unresolved, drawing encouragement from U.S.-India industry groups seeking progress on trade and technology.