PM Modi holds bilateral talks with Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's bilateral talks with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the Presidential Palace in Tashkent mark a significant milestone in India's deepening strategic engagement with Central Asia. This high-level visit, occurring against the backdrop of evolving geopolitical dynamics in the region, reflects India's sustained commitment to its 'Connect Central Asia' policy launched in 2012. Historically, India's ties with Uzbekistan trace back to ancient Silk Road exchanges, with cultural and civilizational linkages through Buddhism, Sufism, and shared linguistic heritage. In the modern era, diplomatic relations were formally established in 1992 after Uzbekistan's independence from the Soviet Union, but the relationship gained strategic depth only after PM Modi's first visit to the region in 2015, when he became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit all five Central Asian nations in a single trip. The current discussions encompass a comprehensive agenda spanning trade and investment, defence cooperation, digital connectivity, energy security, education, and people-to-people exchanges. Uzbekistan, with its strategic location at the heart of Central Asia, serves as a critical gateway for India's overland connectivity ambitions, particularly through the Chabahar Port in Iran and the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). The two nations have identified pharmaceuticals, IT services, agriculture, and renewable energy as key sectors for enhanced bilateral trade, which currently stands at approximately $300 million annually — far below potential. Defence cooperation has emerged as a new pillar, with India offering training, capacity building, and potential joint exercises, aligning with Uzbekistan's military modernization goals. From a constitutional perspective, Article 253 of the Indian Constitution empowers Parliament to make laws for implementing international agreements, while Article 73 extends the executive power of the Union to matters where Parliament has legislative competence — including treaty-making. The expected MoUs will likely be operationalized through executive action, consistent with India's dualist approach to international law where treaties require domestic legislation for enforceability. The visit also resonates with India's 'Neighbourhood First' and 'Extended Neighbourhood' doctrines, reinforcing its role as a net security provider in the Indo-Pacific and Eurasian space. Economically, deeper integration with Uzbekistan offers India access to critical minerals like uranium — Uzbekistan is among the world's top uranium producers — vital for India's civil nuclear energy program under the 2008 NSG waiver and the Indo-US Civil Nuclear Agreement. Energy cooperation, including potential collaboration in green hydrogen and solar energy under the International Solar Alliance (ISA), aligns with India's net-zero target by 2070. On the digital front, India's Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) stack — UPI, Aadhaar, DigiLocker — presents a replicable model for Uzbekistan's digital transformation. Geopolitically, this engagement counters growing Chinese influence in Central Asia through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and strengthens India's position in the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation), where both nations are members. It also complements India's outreach to the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and supports the operationalization of the INSTC, reducing dependence on traditional sea routes. Future implications include a potential India-Uzbekistan Strategic Partnership Agreement, expanded defence dialogues, joint working groups on counter-terrorism, and enhanced academic exchanges under the ICCR scholarship framework. As Central Asia gains prominence in global supply chains and energy transitions, India's proactive diplomacy with Uzbekistan positions it as a reliable, development-oriented partner — distinct from transactional or hegemonic alternatives — thereby advancing its vision of a multipolar, rules-based international order.