Varuna Shankar is a Research Associate at CAPSI (Central Association of Private Security Industry), a Private Security Industry body. She is a doctoral candidate in International Relations and Global Politics from GD Goenka University, Gurugram. Her area of specialization is in the East Asian Region (China and Japan). Previously, she was a Research Intern at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) and the Vivekananda International Foundation. She has a Master's in Political Science from the Center for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), and a bachelor’s degree from Jesus and Mary College, Delhi University.