India's ties with Central Asia can be traced back to the ancient Silk Road, along which goods, people, and ideas flowed. Under the Modi government, there is a renewed effort to reconnect India with the region. During a recent summit, India expressed a need to boost its ties with all five central Asian nations – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The five Presidents also decided to set up a joint working group on Afghanistan. PM Modi outlined 3 focus areas for India's relationship with the central asian republics. Central Asia is central to India's vision of an integrated and stable extended neighborhood and cooperation for regional security and prosperity. Second is to establish a framework of regular interactions, and third is to create an ambitious roadmap for future cooperation. China has aggressively wooed the CARs through its Belt and Road Initiative to make their dream of a new and improved Silk Road a reality. Chinese anxiety to consolidate its links with CARs and disallow India from taking any initiative in the region is shown by its haste to hold a summit with the leaders of Central Asian countries. On the other hand trade between India and Central Asia lies at a insignificant $2 billion compared to Chinese trade with the CARs, which roughly amounts to $100 billion. India could increase bilateral trade through energy requirements. CARs are rich in resources such as oil, natural gas, and uranium. Giving us the insights on this complex geopolitical situation, we have Rashmini Koparkar, an assistant professor at JNU and an avid follower of central Asian politics. She is a student of International Relations, especially those pertaining to Central Asia & Eurasia. She is also passionate about Indian history, politics, and society. In this episode, she speaks about topics such as the history of India with central Asian republics, North-South corridor, the power of Russia, USA, and China in the region, the role of Afghanistan in relations going forward, and more.
