The following is an excerpt of an op-ed written by Farwa Aamer, Director of South Asia Initiatives, and published in India's World. 

South Asia today stands among the world’s most dynamic regions—economically buoyant and yet marked by inequality, demographically young, and increasingly assertive on the global stage. For the United States, the region’s geostrategic value is undeniable: it sits at the intersection of critical maritime routes, borders both China and the Middle East, and is home to a quarter of the global population. Yet, successive U.S. administrations have struggled to articulate a cohesive and effective South Asia policy. What has often passed for strategy has largely been a fragmented set of bilateral relationships and episodic engagements.

Under President Donald Trump’s second term, ambiguity has given way to a much more direct and transactional approach. For South Asia, this shift comes at a pivotal moment. The region is grappling with internal political, security, and economic challenges while being pulled into the center of intensifying U.S.-China rivalry. The region must now adapt swiftly to a recalibrated U.S. posture that no longer assumes continuity, favors hard-nosed bargaining, and seeks clear returns on partnership rather than open-ended commitments.

Read the full op-ed here.