India-Uzbekistan relations are central to India’s imaginative and prescient of an built-in prolonged neighborhood. Outlined seven rising areas of cooperation between the 2 international locations, namely- Digital Payments, Space Cooperation, Agriculture & Dairy, Pharma, Gems & Jewellery, MSME and Inter-Sectoral Cooperation.
- India and Uzbekistan have an extended historical past of cooperation. After the independence of Uzbekistan, India was one of many first international locations to acknowledge its state sovereignty.
- India and Uzbekistan have strengthened cooperation in varied fields comparable to politics, commerce, funding, protection, safety, counter-terrorism, science and expertise, atomic power, house, and data expertise, in addition to cultural and academic ties between the 2 international locations. Got a lift.
Defense Cooperation
- Both sides welcomed the conduct of the joint navy train “Dustlik 2019”.
- India has additionally helped arrange an India Room on the Uzbekistan Armed Forces Academy in Tashkent.
Security Cooperation
- India and Uzbekistan share a typical strategy to a variety of safety points together with terrorism, transnational organized crime, unlawful trafficking and so on.
- A key focus of the engagement on this space is offering assist to Uzbek safety businesses via coaching and capability constructing.
Business
- It has elevated from US$ 247 million within the 12 months 2019-20 to US$ 34.2 million within the 12 months 2021-22, which is a rise of 38.5%.
- Indian investments by Indian firms embrace investments in prescribed drugs, amusement parks, vehicle parts and the hospitality business.
- Amity University and Sharda University have opened campuses in Tashkent and Andijan respectively.
- Indian organizations comparable to create are actively collaborating with Uzbek counterparts to advertise the startup ecosystem in Uzbekistan and supply coaching to entrepreneurs in organising incubators.
Sightseeing
- The Uzbek authorities has prolonged the e-Visa facility to Indian vacationers.
- Uzbekistan has additionally emerged as an essential supply of medical tourism, with roughly 8,000 Uzbeks visiting India yearly for medical remedy.
Solar Energy
- Uzbekistan has expressed curiosity in becoming a member of the International Solar Alliance.
- There has been fascinating in Indian participation within the improvement of the photo voltaic power sector via aggressive bidding.
Bilateral Mechanism
- National Coordination Committees: India and Uzbekistan have fashioned National Coordination Committees to supervise the implementation of mutually agreed tasks and initiatives.
Multilateral Initiatives
- India-Central Asia Business Council: All 5 Central Asia to advance commerce and funding partnerships with a particular concentrate on power, prescribed drugs, automotive, agro-processing, training and concrete infrastructure, transport, civil aviation, IT and tourism Business councils of Asian international locations have been introduced collectively.
- India-Central Asia Dialogue: It permits additional strengthening of relations between India and the international locations of Central Asia in politics, economics, digitization and cultural and humanitarian fields.
Challenges concerning India-Uzbekistan relations
- The quantity of commerce and commerce between the 2 international locations may be very small.
- Lack of connectivity, as Uzbekistan is a landlocked nation and air connectivity infrastructure is relatively underdeveloped.
- China has included all Central Asian international locations, together with Uzbekistan, within the Belt and Road Initiative.