Every year since 2022, India has held India-Central Asia Summits, where the parties systematically take stock of their relations, focusing on regional and global issues. Both global and regional powers are vying for influence in Central Asia, including Russia, China, the US, the EU, Turkey and Iran, as well as several GCC countries. The new Great Game is already playing out. Moscow and Beijing have reached a certain understanding, at least in the interim. However, the frequency and expanse of C5+1 mechanisms with major powers will have their own dynamics and calculus, which New Delhi will be watching carefully. The race for connectivity and critical minerals is increasingly becoming a zero-sum game.
While New Delhi remains sensitive to Russia’s strategic primacy in the region, this may be undermined by the geopolitical, geo-economic and geo-religious contest for supremacy, as the regional majors seek to capitalise on geo-technological competition.
India’s key interests and concerns
Russia’s conflict with Ukraine has caused deep concern in Central Asia, and has led the countries there to justify closer ties with the West and China as balancers and stakeholders. India sees the resulting contest for influence among these parties as a security concern.
India is discussing a Free Trade Agreement with the Russia-led EAEU, as it deepens the special and privileged strategic partnership with Moscow as a stable anchor in a volatile world, which was clearly evident during President Putin’s recent state visit to India (December 4-5) when greater focus was placed on connectivity corridors, commerce and energy security.
Security and stability in the region are of paramount importance for India due to a number of factors. These include energy security considerations regarding Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan as well as uranium supplies from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Terrorism, extremism and radicalisation have grown with the presence of ISIS and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Tajikistan, while Lashkar-e-Taiba and several local radicalised militant and terrorist groups backed by Pakistan pose a consistent threat. Another major concern is narcotics and arms trafficking through the northern trade route as well as involving Central Asia and the Golden Crescent. Only recently, India walked away from Aini base, its only overseas military base in Tajikistan, which had been critical for coordination and observation. However, India’s relations with the Taliban-led Afghan government have improved considerably.
In order to deal with several of these challenges, various joint working groups have been set up, focusing on counter-terrorism, Afghanistan and border security. An NSA (National Security Adviser) level mechanism takes stock of collaboration and challenges on a periodic basis. Intelligence and counter-terrorism – information regarding terror networks, drug routes and radicalisation patterns, are discussed and redressal mechanisms are bolstered. The most recent meeting of the NSAs, in October 2025 in Bishkek, focused on cybersecurity, terrorism and AI, and how to rely on new and emerging technology cooperation in order to deal with extant challenges. Defence and security cooperation has acquired greater salience, with the training of defence personnel from the region as well as the holding of military exercises like KAZIND and DUSTLIK.
The Valdai Discussion Club was established in 2004. It is named after Lake Valdai, which is located close to Veliky Novgorod, where the Club’s first meeting took place.
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