India, Feb. 6 -- Lisa Curtis served in Donald Trump's first administration as the senior director for South and Central Asia in the National Security Council between 2017 and 2021. In that capacity in the White House, Curtis played a central role in the first Trump administration's approach towards India, participated in meetings between the top leaders, shaped US policy during crises from Balakot to Galwan, deepened US-India defence ties, played a key role in reviving Quad, and was among the most valued interlocutors for Indian officials.

Now the head of the Indo-Pacific Security Programme at the Centre for a New American Security (CNAS), a DC think-tank, Curtis has also served in the State Department, the Central Intelligence Agency (C...