Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Trade between India and Uzbekistan could rise to $10 billion over the next few years, up sharply from the $1.3 billion level recorded in 2025, according to Dr. Alisher Shaykhov, Adviser to the Chairman of Uzbekistan’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Speaking to DD India’s correspondent in New Delhi on Saturday, Shaykhov said bilateral investments between the two countries could also expand significantly, growing from the current level of around $1 billion to as much as $5 billion, despite ongoing geopolitical and connectivity challenges facing the wider Central Asian region.
Shaykhov’s projections point to a substantial scaling up of economic engagement between New Delhi and Tashkent, an expansion that would represent close to an eightfold increase in bilateral trade from current levels. While the discussion did not detail a specific timeline beyond “the next few years,” the scale of the projected growth underscores the priority both governments appear to be placing on deepening commercial ties as part of India’s broader outreach to Central Asian economies.
India has in recent years sought to strengthen trade and connectivity links with Uzbekistan and its neighbouring Central Asian states, an effort complicated by the region’s landlocked geography and the absence of direct transport corridors connecting India to Central Asia. Existing trade routes typically rely on transit through Iran or other third countries, a constraint that has historically kept bilateral trade volumes between India and Uzbekistan well below their potential despite complementary economic profiles in sectors such as textiles, pharmaceuticals, agriculture and critical minerals.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan functions as the country’s principal non-government body representing business entities and entrepreneurs, and plays an active role in facilitating trade delegations, business forums and investment promotion between Uzbekistan and its international partners. Shaykhov’s remarks reflect the institution’s continued push to position Uzbekistan as an attractive investment and trade destination for Indian businesses, even as broader geopolitical tensions in the region continue to complicate connectivity and logistics planning.
Officials and trade bodies on both sides have periodically flagged the untapped potential in India-Uzbekistan economic relations, with successive bilateral engagements aimed at addressing connectivity gaps and expanding the range of sectors covered under trade and investment cooperation between the two countries.
