South Asia

South Asia

South Asia is home to over 1.8 billion people and the largest youth population in the world. It includes India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives. As one of the fastest-growing regions in the world, it serves as a strong economic link between the East and the West. South Asia’s strong global connections make it a zone of opportunity for businesses and governments engaging in infrastructure development, trade, and economic development.

Explore

Strategy Session with Danish Foreign Minister Villy Søvndal

Issue Brief
Apr 1, 2025

Rescuing Pakistan’s economy

By
Aasim M. Husain

For decades, Pakistan has struggled with a declining standard of living, skyrocketing public debt, and economic policies that have failed to address the root causes of its stagnation.

Economy & Business
Middle East

Strategy Session with Danish Foreign Minister Villy Søvndal

New Atlanticist
Mar 25, 2025

Starlink’s India launch is a crash course on New Delhi’s approach to tech sovereignty

By
Trisha Ray

A recently announced partnership to deploy the Elon Musk-led company’s satellite internet in India offers a window into New Delhi’s “hybrid” approach.

Economy & Business
India

Strategy Session with Danish Foreign Minister Villy Søvndal

New Atlanticist
Feb 19, 2025

Why India and Armenia are now taking their relationship to new heights

By
Tatevik Khachatryan, Srujan Palkar

The growing military and diplomatic cooperation between New Delhi and Yerevan benefits both beyond immediate defense concerns.

Economy & Business
India

Programs

The South Asia Center is the hub for the Atlantic Council’s analysis of the political, social, geographical, and cultural diversity of the region. ​At the intersection of South Asia and its geopolitics, SAC cultivates dialogue to shape policy and forge ties between the region and the global community.

Learn more

Content

Event Recap

Dec 14, 2011

Strategy Session with Danish Foreign Minister Villy Søvndal

By Jason Harmala

On Wednesday, December 14, the Council hosted Minister Villy Søvndal in a working lunch and strategy session to discuss NATO involvement in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Minister visited Washington following his trips to Helmand Province and Kabul for meetings with ISAF and Afghan leaders, and his leadership of Denmark’s representation to the Bonn conference last […]

Afghanistan NATO

New Atlanticist

Dec 13, 2011

Saudi Arabia Nuclear Hedging

By Yoel Guzansky

Saudi Arabia’s announcement last week that it plans to build 16 nuclear reactors with a budget of more than $100 billion raises doubts about its nuclear ambitions.

Iran Nuclear Nonproliferation

New Atlanticist

Dec 9, 2011

US-Pakistan Relations: A Crisis Foretold

By Maleeha Lodhi

The firestorm in Pakistan-US relations set off by the November 26 NATO assault on Pakistan’s border posts was a crisis waiting to happen.

NATO Pakistan

New Atlanticist

Dec 7, 2011

A Nuclear Option for Saudi Arabia?

By Arnaud de Borchgrave

Afghanistan expects U.S. aid to flow without interruption for six more years following the final U.S. troop withdrawal at the end of 2014 — three years hence. Nothing is less certain.

Afghanistan Nuclear Nonproliferation

New Atlanticist

Dec 5, 2011

Stumbling Over a Pakistan Policy

By Shuja Nawaz

After a week of delay, as anger against the United States mounted inside Pakistan over the November 26 attack by U.S. forces that killed two officers and 22 soldiers of the Pakistani army at border posts Volcano and Boulder in Mohmand agency, the President of the United States finally entered the picture directly.

Pakistan

Event Recap

Dec 2, 2011

Impulses: Trends That Will Shape India’s World

By Adrienne Chuck

On December 2, the Atlantic Council’s Strategic Foresight Initiative and South Asia Center hosted a discussion on the global trends shaping India’s future towards 2030.

India
Delivery Truck

Issue Brief

Nov 23, 2011

Prospects and challenges for increasing India-Pakistan trade

By Ishrat Husain

Ishrat Husain, dean and director of the Institute of Business Administration in Karachi, Pakistan, authored the latest South Asia Center issue brief titled “Prospects and Challenges for Increasing India-Pakistan Trade.” In the face of massive economic challenges, a burgeoning population, energy and water shortages, and huge and growing numbers of unemployed workers, especially youth, Pakistan […]

India Pakistan

New Atlanticist

Nov 18, 2011

Key Regional Perspectives: Central Asia

By Anna Borshchevskaya

Afghanistan is both the key and the lock preventing the Central Asian region from moving further, said Ambassador Robert Finn as he opened yesterday’s “Key Regional Perspectives: Central Asia” session at the Black Sea Energy and Economic Forum. “We need to talk about Afghanistan when we talk about Central Asia,” he said.

Afghanistan

New Atlanticist

Nov 15, 2011

Stalemate in Afghanistan

By Afrasiab Khattak

While a horrifying military conflict is continuously raging in Afghanistan there seems to be a complete stalemate on the political front. As 2014 is drawing closer there is little hope for any breakthrough in terms of some consensus among the most important players who are egoistically clinging to their positions on post-withdrawal arrangements. Zero-sum games […]

Afghanistan

Event Recap

Nov 14, 2011

Rethinking Indian Policies Towards Pakistan

By Jason Harmala

On November 14, the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center and the Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National Defense University hosted a discussion with Bharat Karnad, senior fellow for National Security Studies at the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi, and author of India’s Rise: Why it is not a Great Power (Yet)

India Pakistan
Load More

Experts

Fellow

Grace Abuhamad

Nonresident Fellow

Digital Forensic Research Lab

Digital Policy Internet

Fellow

Elliot Ackerman

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Afghanistan Defense Policy

Fellow

Paul Amato

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Missile Defense Nuclear Deterrence

Fellow

Peter Arvo

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Freedom and Prosperity Center

China Human Rights

Staff

Rayhan Asat

Former Senior Legal & Policy Advisor, China Lead

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Central Asia China

Fellow

Kyle Atwell

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Afghanistan Colombia
Load More