Delhi, on its part, will contribute to connectivity projects through Chabahar Port and INSTC and seek to penetrate Eurasian markets and access critical natural resources necessary to drive the economy

India will play critical role at the SCO beginning with the Summit this weekend as a balancing power between key member states Russia and China in the Eurasian landscape, which would enable it to expand its presence in landlocked Central Asia despite no direct land access to the region. 

India will be attending the Summit for the first time as a full-member. A fact which has missed attention is that the presence of Delhi -- with its strong ties with competing powers --enhances the acceptability of SCO across the globe. Simultaneously, SCO is the platform that India had wanted to expand its outreach to Central Asia, both through bilateral ventures as well as third country projects in collaboration with Moscow. The fact cannot be overstated that Afghan outreach will be furthered through SCO as well. 

India will not only benefit from SCO's anti-terror structures but also non-protectionist trade agenda and effective connectivity links in Eurasia. India, which was hampered by direct links to the region, is making steady progress to create connectivity links and was admitted few months to Agreement on the Establishment of an International Transport and Transit Corridor between Iran, Oman, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan (Ashgabat Agreement). 

Delhi, on its part, will contribute to connectivity projects through Chabahar Port and INSTC and seek to penetrate Eurasian markets and access critical natural resources necessary to drive the economy. These connectivity projects could enable Delhi to link up with inter-regional connectivity initiatives in Central Asia besides Russian led projects without being party to BRI. The proposed FTA with Eurasian Economic Union will contribute to this process.

While Beijing’s economic prowess and geographical contiguity has enabled it to make huge inroads in Eurasia, India sees itself as a stabiliser and security provider in the region. New Delhi’s growing financial clout also makes it an attractive economic power for many SCO member states and observers.

India has substantial interest in securing reliable energy supplies through Central Asia. Besides oil and gas, India is eyeing imports of uranium from Uzbekistan while such supplies are arriving from Kazakhstan. The requirements of energy security also postulate a continuing positive relationship and energy bridge with Russia --the oldest player in the region and the country instrumental in pushing India’s SCO membership along with Uzbekistan. “India has been slowly coming up with its own Eurasian agenda. It has taken some significant steps with enormous implications for realising a strong potential connectivity link between India and Eurasia. While New Delhi enters the Eurasian integration path, it also needs to factor in the changing political dynamics within Central Asia. The nature of the regional outlook is changing in favour of intra-regional cooperation. If this trend gathers force, it would not be always easy for China to overcome the broader set of issues that could come in the way of realising its BRI vision, points out P Stoban, India’s former envoy to Kyrgyzstan and an expert on Central Asia.