Navin Girishankar

President, Economic Security and Technology Department
Navin Girishankar

Navin Girishankar is the inaugural president of the Economic Security and Technology Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), which he has built into one of Washington’s leading policy enterprises— assembling a world-class team across economics, technology, energy, trade, and AI; leading research on U.S.-China technology competition; and mobilizing considerable resources from philanthropic, corporate, and private donors.

Girishankar spent over two decades at the World Bank pioneering work on development finance, fiscal federalism, public sector reform, and trade and industry competitiveness—mobilizing hundreds of billions in public and private capital across emerging markets and designing new instruments for development finance, including landmark programs across Africa.

He went on to hold senior commercial roles at Bridgewater Associates, advising sovereign wealth funds on global macro strategy and asset allocation, before serving as counselor to the U.S. deputy secretary of commerce. While in government, Girishankar helped shape the investment framework underpinning the CHIPS and Science Act, channeling large-scale federal capital into semiconductors, broadband, and strategic technologies. He also led U.S. economic and commercial efforts in the Indo-Pacific, emerging markets, and Africa.

Girishankar's work is grounded in a core proposition: Economic dynamism fuels technological prowess—and underwrites national strength. He has written in Foreign Affairs and the National Interest, hosts the CSIS Betting on America podcast, and speaks regularly before corporate boards, policy forums, and national media.

He holds degrees from the Harvard Kennedy School and Williams College.

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Navin Girishankar's Commentaries and Reports

Photo: iLab/CSIS

Photo: iLab/CSIS

The Limits of Control

This edition of the Economic Security and Technology Newsletter covers The Limits of Control.

Newsletter by Navin Girishankar — August 5, 2026

Navin Girishankar's Podcasts

Listen to the Betting on America Podcast:

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All Navin Girishankar Content

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Can AI and Reindustrialization Open New Pathways to Wealth for All? | Betting on America

Join us for an episode of Betting on America, featuring a panel discussion on the AI revolution, reindustrialization, and new pathways to Black wealth. The panel was moderated by Joint Center President Dedrick Asante-Muhammad and featured Dr. Nicol Turner Lee of the Brookings Institution, Chanelle Hardy of Google, and Navin Girishankar. 

Event — August 28, 2026

Betting on America

An International Call to Action on 6G

This special episode of Betting on America features the recent CSIS-hosted “International Call to Action for 6G Leadership and Security” with the U.S. Department of Commerce, a leader in advancing secure, trusted, and innovative wireless technologies.

Podcast Episode by Navin Girishankar and Matt Pearl — August 19, 2026

Photo: iLab/CSIS

The Limits of Control

This edition of the Economic Security and Technology Newsletter covers The Limits of Control.

Newsletter by Navin Girishankar — August 5, 2026

South Korea’s Strategic Capital Play

This blog chart shines a light on South Korea's $1.5 trillion in sovereign-fund assets and explores how it can be deployed to serve both financial and economic-security objectives.

Blog Post by Navin Girishankar, Karl Smith, Andrea Leonard Palazzi, and Joseph Lim — August 4, 2026

EST Rapid Roundup: More Tariffs and Implications

Join the CSIS Economic Security and Technology Department’s Navin Girishankar, Philip Luck and Angela Ellard as they unpack the Trump administration's recent tariff actions and discuss the implications for U.S. trading partners. 

Event — July 30, 2026