Strengthening diplomatic engagement between New Delhi and Washington, India’s Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Kwatra, hosted Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Paul Kapur, at India House in Washington this week.

The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs confirmed the meeting on X, stating, “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.”

The meeting comes shortly after Kapur’s swearing-in on October 22 as the new Assistant Secretary, a key appointment under the Trump administration for the South and Central Asia portfolio. He succeeded Donald Lu, who served in the role from September 2021 to January 2025.

Kapur, an Indian American scholar and security expert, brings deep expertise to his new role. He previously served on the State Department’s Policy Planning Staff from 2020 to 2021, focusing on Indo-Pacific strategy and India-U.S. relations. He has also been closely involved in leading Track 1.5 dialogues and strategic defence cooperation between the two countries.

In addition to his diplomatic work, Kapur is a visiting fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution and a professor at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.

Earlier in October, Kapur was confirmed by the Senate, alongside the new U.S. Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor. During his Senate confirmation hearing in June, Kapur reflected on his personal and professional journey, saying his career had “come full circle.”

“I was born in New Delhi to an Indian father and an American mother,” Kapur said. “Though I grew up in the United States, I never imagined my career would someday return me to the place where I was born.”

On U.S.-India relations, Kapur emphasized the growing convergence of interests between the two democracies. “The United States and India share a host of common goals — ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific, expanding bilateral trade, fostering technology and innovation, and ensuring access to clean and sustainable energy,” he said.

Kapur also noted that the U.S. would continue to pursue “security cooperation with Pakistan where beneficial to U.S. interests,” signaling a pragmatic approach to regional engagement.