PM To Visit Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan As India Eyes Bigger Role In Central Asia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan later this month at a time when Central Asia has emerged as one of the world's most strategically contested regions. China has spent years expanding its footprint through the Belt and Road Initiative, while Russia continues to view the region as part of its traditional sphere of influence. India, too, is seeking a larger role, making the visit strategically significant.The visit has two distinct legs. The Kyrgyzstan stop will revolve around the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, with bilateral meetings expected on the sidelines. Uzbekistan, meanwhile, will host a full-fledged bilateral visit focused on trade, defence cooperation, connectivity and investment.The timing reflects multiple strategic realities. The changing security landscape following developments in Afghanistan, China's expanding influence across Central Asia and India's own ambition to strengthen its economic and strategic footprint have together elevated the region's importance in New Delhi's foreign policy.Confirmation of the Uzbekistan visit came this week during the visit of Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov to New Delhi, where he held talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and paid a courtesy call on President Droupadi Murmu. Speaking after the meetings, Saidov said preparations for the Prime Minister's visit were underway and expressed confidence that it would further deepen bilateral ties, signalling that both countries are preparing to expand cooperation beyond the steady progress made over the past decade.Uzbekistan: Trade, Connectivity And Strategic AccessIndia's relationship with Uzbekistan extends well beyond diplomacy, encompassing trade, defence, pharmaceuticals, information technology, education and culture.Bilateral trade has already crossed the one-billion-dollar mark, although both countries believe the relationship has significantly greater potential. The visit is expected to focus on improving market access, encouraging investment and expanding business partnerships.Uzbekistan also occupies a strategically important position in India's connectivity ambitions through the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and Chabahar Port. Its location makes it an important gateway linking South Asia with Central Asia and the wider Eurasian region.Defence cooperation has steadily expanded through the annual Dustlik military exercise, which alternates between the two countries and focuses on counter-terrorism operations in semi-urban environments. The exercise has become an important platform for strengthening interoperability and military cooperation.Cooperation has also grown steadily in healthcare, digital technology, education and capacity-building initiatives.This will not be Prime Minister Modi's first visit to Uzbekistan. He travelled there on a bilateral visit in 2015, attended the SCO Summit in Tashkent in 2016 and returned for the SCO Summit in Samarkand in 2022. The upcoming visit therefore builds upon an already well-established partnership rather than marking a new beginning.Kyrgyzstan: The SCO LegBefore travelling to Uzbekistan, the Prime Minister will attend the SCO Summit in Kyrgyzstan, bringing together India, China, Russia and the Central Asian republics to discuss regional security, connectivity and economic cooperation.While the summit has a formal agenda, it is also expected to provide opportunities for several bilateral meetings, although India has not yet announced its schedule.India and Kyrgyzstan have steadily strengthened defence ties over the years. Indian military institutions regularly train Kyrgyz personnel, while the annual Khanjar special forces exercise focuses on enhancing counter-terrorism cooperation.Another important but lesser-known area of cooperation is the Kyrgyz-Indian Mountain Biomedical Research Centre in Bishkek, where scientists from both countries jointly conduct research on high-altitude medicine.India also offers nearly 100 training slots each year to Kyrgyz professionals under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme, strengthening long-term institutional links between the two countries.Prime Minister Modi last visited Kyrgyzstan in 2019 for the SCO Summit in Bishkek, having previously travelled there during his broader Central Asia tour in 2015.The Bigger PictureViewed together, the two visits underline India's steadily growing engagement with Central Asia.Over the past decade, New Delhi has sought to institutionalise relations through initiatives such as the India-Central Asia Dialogue and the India-Central Asia Summit, while expanding cooperation in energy, critical minerals, digital connectivity, healthcare and education.The region's vast energy resources, strategic location between Europe and Asia and proximity to Afghanistan have made it increasingly important to India's foreign policy calculations.Taken together, the visits to Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are expected to reinforce India's engagement across trade, defence, connectivity and regional diplomacy. As geopolitical competition in Central Asia intensifies, New Delhi appears keen to consolidate existing partnerships while expanding its strategic presence in a region that is becoming increasingly important to the global balance of power.Sources indicate that the visit is likely to take place in the last week of August, although the final itinerary and dates are expected to be announced closer to the visit.