Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan later this month as India steps up its engagement with Central Asia, a region that has become increasingly important amid growing geopolitical competition. While China has expanded its influence through the Belt and Road Initiative and Russia continues to maintain longstanding strategic ties in the region, India is seeking to strengthen its presence through deeper economic, diplomatic and security cooperation.
The visit will have two distinct components. In Kyrgyzstan, Prime Minister Modi will participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, where leaders from India, China, Russia and the Central Asian republics are expected to discuss regional security, connectivity and economic cooperation. The summit is also likely to provide opportunities for bilateral meetings on the sidelines, although the official schedule has not yet been announced.
The second leg of the visit will take the Prime Minister to Uzbekistan for a bilateral engagement focused on expanding cooperation in trade, defence, connectivity and investment. Confirmation of the visit came during Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov's recent trip to New Delhi, where he held discussions with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and called on President Droupadi Murmu. Both sides indicated that preparations are underway and expressed confidence that the visit would further strengthen bilateral relations.
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India and Uzbekistan have significantly expanded cooperation over the past decade across sectors including pharmaceuticals, information technology, education, healthcare and defence. Bilateral trade has crossed the $1 billion mark, with both countries aiming to unlock greater economic potential through improved market access and increased investment. Uzbekistan also plays a key role in India's connectivity strategy through the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and Chabahar Port, serving as an important gateway between South Asia, Central Asia and the wider Eurasian region. Defence cooperation has also deepened through the annual Dustlik military exercise, which focuses on counter-terrorism operations.
India's ties with Kyrgyzstan have similarly grown through defence cooperation, capacity building and scientific collaboration. The two countries conduct the annual Khanjar special forces exercise to enhance counter-terrorism capabilities, while Indian military institutions regularly train Kyrgyz personnel. India also supports nearly 100 professionals from Kyrgyzstan every year through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme. Another key area of collaboration is the Kyrgyz-Indian Mountain Biomedical Research Centre in Bishkek, where scientists from both countries jointly conduct research on high-altitude medicine.
The upcoming visits build on Prime Minister Modi's previous engagements with both countries. He visited Uzbekistan in 2015 and attended SCO summits in Tashkent in 2016 and Samarkand in 2022. His earlier visits to Kyrgyzstan included a bilateral trip in 2015 and participation in the SCO Summit in Bishkek in 2019. Together, the two visits are expected to reinforce India's growing engagement with Central Asia across trade, defence, connectivity, energy, critical minerals, healthcare and regional diplomacy. Official dates for the visit are expected to be announced closer to the Prime Minister's departure.
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