UPSC Mains
GS Paper II
International Relations
India’s Return to Its Central Asian Neighbourhood
PM Modi’s state visit to Uzbekistan and the SCO Summit in Bishkek mark a deepening of India’s “geography, not ideology” push into Eurasia.
SCO MEMBERSHIP
India Joined 2017 (with Pakistan)
KEY CONNECTIVITY ROUTE
Chabahar Port & INSTC
CENTRAL ASIAN REPUBLICS
5 — Independent Since 1991
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Why in News & the Region’s Significance
- PM Modi is visiting Central Asia — a state visit to Uzbekistan followed by the SCO Heads of State meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan — deepening India’s strategic, economic and cultural ties with the region.
- Central Asia’s five landlocked republics (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan) sit between Russia and China, with Türkiye and Iran as external influences.
Why Central Asia Matters to India
- Civilisational and cultural ties in religion, language and shared history; geographic proximity via the Wakhan Corridor.
- India’s plural, moderate, democratic model is admired in the region — a soft-power edge over other external players.
- Pakistan factor: seeks to claim historical lineage on religious grounds and physically cut India off from the region — a strategy India must not allow to succeed.
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Connectivity — The Core Challenge
- Pakistan blocks direct overland access, so India relies on alternative architecture to reach the region and unlock trade in energy and minerals.
Chabahar Port (Iran)
India’s gateway to bypass Pakistan and reach Central Asia and Afghanistan.
INSTC
Multi-modal ship-rail-road corridor: India → Iran → Central Asia → Russia, cutting transit time and cost.
TAPI Pipeline
Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India pipeline — links connectivity with energy security interests.
2015 & 2017 Milestones
2015: PM Modi visited all five Central Asian states. 2017: India joined the SCO as a full member alongside Pakistan.
The Uzbekistan state visit is strategic: one of Central Asia’s fastest-growing economies, strong opposition to terrorism, deep Afghanistan expertise, and improving ties since President Mirziyoyev took office in 2016.
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India and the SCO — Geography, Not Ideology
Counter-Terrorism via RATS
The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure aligns with India’s core security interests.
Hedge for Kyrgyzstan-like States
For China-dependent economies, India and the SCO offer a geopolitical lifeline against over-reliance on Beijing.
Multilateral China Engagement
SCO diplomacy lets India engage China multilaterally while maintaining strategic autonomy on the LAC.
BRICS Linkage
Supports a multipolar world, Global South voice, and reform of global institutions alongside SCO engagement.
Challenges in India’s Central Asia Policy
- Connectivity deficit via Pakistan’s blockade; China’s BRI dominance (which India has not joined); Russia’s traditional primacy; instability from Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
Strategic autonomy, not alignment: India’s SCO engagement is driven by geography and connectivity access, not ideological alignment — allowing it to negotiate against the China-Pakistan dyad while offering Central Asia a credible third development partner.
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Source: The Hindu
