Srujan Palkar is global India fellow and an assistant director at the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative in the Atlantic Council’s Middle East programs. He completed his undergraduate studies in economics, statistics, and German. Palkar’s interest in leadership and foreign affairs led him to pursue his master’s degree in international relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). At SAIS, he specialized in India-China-US relations, specifically focusing on the technology and energy sectors.  

During his time at SAIS, Palkar founded the South Asia Society, which grew to nearly a hundred members. He led cultural events, hosted the Indian finance minister, and attended events with the Indian prime minister. 

Palkar was a Robert J. Abernethy scholar and head ambassador fellow at the International Student House of Washington, DC. He is a recipient of the 2024 Projects for Peace Award for his focus on policy and citizen-awareness solutions for environmental-developmental conflict resulting from the fast growth of infrastructure. 

In addition to these pursuits, he has been an ardent practitioner and informal instructor of yoga for more than a decade. Palkar grew up in India and can speak English, Marathi, Hindi, German, and Mandarin.