From Security to Strategy: Designing a Secure and Integrated South Asian Energy System

South Asian countries are reexamining what "energy security" means in an era of volatile fuel prices, climate risks, fiscal pressures, and rising expectations for reliable and affordable access. Countries such as India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, and Bhutan face related but distinct challenges, ranging from import-dependent fuel systems and rapid demand growth to underutilized hydropower resources and aging infrastructure. As they seek to balance domestic priorities for sovereignty, affordability, and industrial development with opportunities for cross-border electricity trade and shared fuel and infrastructure arrangements, regional interdependence is increasingly viewed with a mix of caution and interest. These varied starting points mean that countries approach regional energy cooperation from different angles, with their own priorities, constraints, and expectations of what integration should deliver.