• Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
Carnegie Global logoCarnegie lettermark logo
DemocracyIran
  • Donate
{
  "authors": [],
  "type": "other",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "ctw",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "SAP",
  "programs": [
    "South Asia"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "South Asia",
    "India"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Foreign Policy",
    "Nuclear Policy"
  ]
}

Source: Getty

Other

Ashley J. Tellis: Key Figure in the U.S.-India Nuclear Deal

Link Copied
Published on Mar 3, 2006
Program mobile hero image

Program

South Asia

The South Asia Program informs policy debates relating to the region’s security, economy, and political development. From strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific to India’s internal dynamics and U.S. engagement with the region, the program offers in-depth, rigorous research and analysis on South Asia’s most critical challenges.

Learn More

President Bush, on his first visit to India, sealed the U.S.-India Nuclear Deal. Carnegie Senior Associate Ashley J. Tellis has been widely recognized as one of the core individuals who made this deal possible. Tellis was drafted in advance of President Bush's visit to India to serve as a senior advisor to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, R. Nicholas Burns. In this position, Tellis provided support of various State Department activities relating to U.S.-Indian relations and brought his unique understanding of the establishments in New Delhi and Washington to finalize the deal.

In an interview with rediff-India Abroad R. Nicholas Burns said,

"Ashley has worked for the United States government at several junctures -- at the White House staff as well as in New Delhi -- and he knows more about India's nuclear program than any other living American. [And so, I wanted to...] I have great respect for him, for his creativity and ingenuity and also for his knowledge and technical expertise, and I felt that he would be a great addition to our staff and our delegation, and he was. He was instrumental in getting a decision."

Click below to read more about Tellis' role in the historic U.S.-India Nuclear Deal: 

People Behind  the Deal (Times of India, March 3, 2006)

Those Who Made the Deal Happen (Indian Express, March 4, 2006)
Click on the right to access article

All the PM's Men (Hindustan Times, March 5, 2006)
Click on the right to access article 

Foreign PolicyNuclear PolicySouth AsiaIndia

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

  • Aerial view of shipping containers at a port
    Commentary
    Emissary
    The Fallout of the U.S.–Canada Trade War Won’t Be Limited to North America

    U.S. trading partners in Asia are closely watching the dispute for signs of how it may affect their own interests.

      • Barbara Weisel

      Barbara Weisel

  • Commentary
    Strategic Europe
    Europe Fails to Learn the Lessons from Ceuta

    The aftermath of the Ceuta crisis shows Europe has drawn the wrong lessons. Rather than doubling down on failed migration policies, the EU needs to address the underlying roots of such episodes.

      Richard Youngs

  • US President Donald Trump waves as he leaves after speaking at a campaign rally
    Paper
    America Walks Away from Global Democracy

    By abandoning past U.S. pro-democracy policies and adopting several lines of pro-autocratic action, the Trump administration has fundamentally repositioned the United States vis-à-vis democracy in the world.

      Thomas Carothers

  • olice officers and residents stand in front of a shopping mall while a large outdoor screen broadcasts a military welcome ceremony featuring U.S. and Chinese flags for U.S. President Donald Trump hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People on May 14, 2026
    Paper
    American Power: A View from China

    Chinese strategists are once again debating whether American power is declining and whether U.S. hegemony is experiencing irreversible decay.

      Wu Xinbo

  • Trump and MBS walking across a stage
    Commentary
    Emissary
    Is the U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Deal Moving From the Gold Standard to a Gilded Standard?

    Congress should ask tough questions about the agreement’s more unique features and whether they advance U.S. interests or compromise them.

      • Jane Darby Menton

      Jane Darby Menton

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Carnegie global logo, stacked
1779 Massachusetts Avenue NWWashington, DC, 20036-2103Phone: 202 483 7600
  • Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
  • Donate
  • Programs
  • Events
  • Blogs
  • Podcasts
  • Contact
  • Annual Reports
  • Careers
  • Privacy
  • For Media
  • Government Resources
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.