Perspective: India’s Growing Engagement with Central Asia | 31 August, 2026

On the show today, we focus on PM Modi’s visit to the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic from 29 August to 1 September 2026 - a visit that underscores India’s deepening engagement with Central Asia and its growing strategic importance for India. At the invitation of the President of Uzbekistan, PM Modi was on a state visit to the country on 29th and 30th August. Upon his arrival in Tashkent, the Prime Minister was accorded a ceremonial welcome and warmly received by the Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev - setting the tone for a visit focused on taking the India-Uzbekistan partnership to a new level. During their bilateral meeting, both leaders reviewed the entire spectrum of India-Uzbekistan relations. Their talks focussed on expanding cooperation across a wide range of areas: trade and investment, infrastructure, critical minerals, mining, defence and security, innovation, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, health, information technology, digital public infrastructure including UPI, and education, among others. Both sides have set an ambitious target of 5 billion dollars in bilateral trade by 2030. And reflecting the growing depth and expanding scope of cooperation, the two sides decided to elevate their bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership - a significant step forward in the relationship. (“Uzbekistan is at the heart of Central Asia, and at the heart of India’s engagement with the region. India and Uzbekistan share a deep convergence of perspectives and aspirations. At the heart of both “Yangi Uzbekistan” and “Viksit Bharat 2047” are our youth, innovation, inclusive growth, and modern technology. Guided by this shared vision, we are working for the well-being and prosperity of the people of both countries. This year marks the 15th anniversary of our Strategic Partnership. On this special occasion, we have decided to elevate our relationship to the level of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.”) Talking about the outcomes - 16 MoUs and agreements were signed between the two sides, covering a wide range of areas, including mining, culture, education, tourism and ayurveda, among others. PM Modi was also conferred with Uzbekistan’s highest honour for foreign leaders, recognising his contribution to strengthening the friendship between the two countries. The Prime Minister dedicated the honour to the 1.4 billion people of India, describing it as a symbol of the enduring friendship between the two civilizations. From Tashkent, PM Modi arrived in Bishkek to participate in the 26th SCO Leadership Summit. The SCO Summit brings together ten Member States, fifteen Partner countries and two observer countries to advance dialogue and cooperation on regional and global issues. In his departure statement ahead of his Central Asia visit, the Prime Minister had said he looks forward to advancing India’s vision for the region, anchored in Security, Connectivity and Opportunity, and to working with fellow members for a region free from the scourge of terrorism, separatism and extremism - challenges that continue to threaten peace and stability in our neighbourhood and beyond. In Perspective today, we turn our attention to the key agenda before the SCO Summit and India’s priorities and contributions at this important regional forum. We’ll also examine the key takeaways from PM Modi’s visit to Uzbekistan, the steady expansion of India’s engagement with Central Asia, and the immense potential to build an even stronger, deeper and more dynamic partnership between India and the region. Guests: 1- Dr. K. Laxman, MP, Rajya Sabha, BJP 2- Ashok Sajjanhar, Former Ambassador 3- Srikanth Kondapalli, Professor, Center for East Asian Studies, School of International Studies, JNU Anchor: Teena Jha Producer: Gayatri Bhattacheryya Guest Coordinator: Deepti Vashisht, Vinod Kumar Singh, Paras Kandpal #india’s #consumer #china #us #market #consumption #gdp #goods #services #travel #hotels #cars #appliances Watch the other videos on our playlist:    • Perspective   Sansad Television is the Parliamentary channel of India. It was created in 2021 by merging Lok Sabha Television and Rajya Sabha Television. Follow us on: -X: https://x.com/sansad_tv -Insta:   / sansad.tv   -FB:   / sansadtelevision   -WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VanO... -linkedin:  / published   Visit Sansad TV website: https://sansadtv.nic.in/