Arun Vishwanathan is Associate Professor in Security Studies in the School of National Security Studies, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar. Previously he has been Assistant Professor in the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies, Savitribai Phule Pune University and at the International Strategic and Security Studies Program, National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bangalore. He was also Assistant Director in the National Security Council Secretariat, Prime Minister’s Office and Associate Fellow at the Indian Pugwash Society, IDSA Campus, New Delhi.

Arun Vishwanathan holds a doctorate in International Relations from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He is the co-editor Troubling Tehran: Reflections on Geopolitics and co-author of the monograph Hatf-IX/ NASR – Pakistan’s Tactical Nuclear Weapon: Implications for Indo-Pak Deterrence. His research has been published in Strategic Analysis, USI Journal, Contemporary Review of the Middle East, International Journal of South Asian Studies and Synergy: Journal of Centre for Joint Warfare Studies in addition to opinion pieces in various national and international media houses. His areas of research include nuclear deterrence and strategy, proliferation of nuclear weapons and technology, defence industry ecosystem, and Research Methodology and he is working on a monograph on Israel's defence research and development ecosystem for MEI.

He was associated with MEI@ND as Non-Resident Fellow until December 2025