Ashok K. Kantha is a former career diplomat, Ashok K. Kantha is now associated with three New Delhi-based think-tanks (Vivekananda International Foundation, Council for Strategic and Defence Research and Institute of Chinese Studies). Earlier, he served as Secretary (East) in Ministry of External Affairs and Ambassador/High Commissioner to China, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. In his diplomatic career, Kantha specialised in India’s neighbourhood and extended neighbourhood with a particular focus on China and South Asia.