India’s consistent engagement with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a reflection of its growing strategic importance in the Eurasian region, according to a report published by India Narrative on 4th September.
The report highlighted that no regional framework in Eurasia can move forward without India’s involvement.
India actively ensures its voice influences key issues at the SCO, including security, connectivity, governance, and sovereignty.
The report states that India does not participate in the SCO merely as a symbolic gesture.
Instead, it takes a deliberate and strategic approach to broaden dialogue and safeguard its national interests, rather than endorsing the views of dominant members like China and Russia.
India’s engagement prevents a single-narrative dominance, thus contributing to a more balanced discourse within the forum.
“New Delhi’s participation is more about engagement rather than endorsement,” the report noted, adding that India’s involvement ensures that the forum does not lean entirely towards one power bloc.
A Gateway to Central Asia
For India, the SCO acts as a crucial gateway to Central Asia—an area rich in trade, energy, and connectivity opportunities, yet geographically and politically difficult to access directly.
While Russia and China see the SCO as a counterweight to Western influence, India uses it as a platform to maintain open dialogue and extend its reach into Central Asia.
The report underlined that Central Asian countries benefit from India’s presence as it offers collaboration in sectors such as technology, healthcare, and renewable energy—without the baggage of political or economic coercion.
India’s approach within the SCO reflects its broader foreign policy strategy of strategic autonomy—an ability to engage across platforms without compromising on national interests.
The report noted that this flexible and deliberate diplomacy is better suited to shaping future international relations than rigid alliances.
By taking a principled stand on issues like terrorism, sovereignty, and regional security, India has established itself as a mature global player—even within forums where its priorities do not take centre stage.
India’s continued and calculated engagement in the SCO is more than a regional strategy—it is a statement of its evolving global role.
By promoting a multipolar world and ensuring that smaller nations in Central Asia have alternative partnerships, India is actively contributing to a more inclusive and balanced global order.
As the report concludes, India’s deliberate steps within the SCO mark it not as a passive observer, but as a nation shaping the future of Eurasia—one forum at a time.
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