A number of outside powers have entrenched themselves in Central Asia, which is a zone of interest to India. Discuss the implications, in this context, of India’s joining the Ashgabat Agreement, 2018.

Introduction

Energy-rich Central Asia hosts entrenched outside powers — Russia (CSTO, Eurasian Economic Union), China (BRI, the region's largest trade and investment partner), Turkey and Iran — while India, denied land transit by Pakistan, has lacked physical access to a region it calls its extended neighbourhood. Joining the Ashgabat Agreement in February 2018 addresses precisely this gap.

The Agreement

Signed in 2011 by Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Oman (Kazakhstan and Pakistan acceded later), it establishes an international multimodal transport and transit corridor linking Central Asia with the Persian Gulf.

Implications for India

• Bypasses Pakistan: access to Central Asia via Iranian ports, complementing Chabahar and the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).
• Energy security: opens routes toward Kazakh uranium, Turkmen gas (TAPI) and regional hydrocarbons.
• Strategic balancing: offers Central Asian republics an alternative to Chinese-financed connectivity, reinforcing the Connect Central Asia policy (2012), India's SCO membership and the India-Central Asia Summit process (2022).
• Trade facilitation: harmonised transit and customs procedures can cut the cost and time of India-Eurasia commerce.

Caveats

• US sanctions on Iran, thin infrastructure and the slow operationalisation of INSTC limit immediate gains.

Conclusion

Ashgabat membership converts India's Central Asia policy from aspiration to infrastructure; the dividend depends on de-risking the Iran route and sustained investment in the corridor.