For UPSC and Punjab PCS aspirants, this topic is particularly relevant to GS Paper II – International Relations, along with GS Paper III – Energy Security, Critical Minerals and Infrastructure. The central question is no longer whether India should engage with Central Asia, but how India can convert strategic goodwill into tangible economic, connectivity and security outcomes.
This article examines India’s evolving Central Asia policy through the lens of strategic realism, connectivity diplomacy, China’s influence, energy and mineral security, Afghanistan, Chabahar and the INSTC, and explains why India’s future approach must be based on practical interests, diversified partnerships and long-term strategic resilience.
