I am delighted to welcome you to this edition of our newsletter. Set up in 2004, ISAS has steadily established itself as a hub for research and policy analysis with a South Asian focus. We seek to keep pace with developments in South Asia, and global issues connected to it in our analysis of politics, economy and governance of South Asian states. However, the areas of interest for ISAS comprise not only the states of South Asia - Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka - but also the Indian Ocean and countries outside the region that are closely connected to South Asia, and the South Asian Diaspora, spread all over the world.