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The India – Central Asia relations have a historical basis in their overlapping civilisational and ideological beliefs. These can be traced through the silk routes that paved the way for trade and commerce between Europe and Central Asia. Moreover, Buddhist teachings also spread through these routes to Central Asia from India. India has had cultural advantages in building proactive relationships with Central Asian countries after the collapse of the Soviet Union. However, due to border tension between India and Pakistan and the Taliban’s capture of Afghanistan, India has fewer options to increase trade and commerce with Central Asia. However, PM Modi’s Central Asia tour instils a growing belief that India – Central Asia relations will take a fresh turn and yield maximum benefits for both regions. With this initiative, he has become the only prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru to visit all the Central Asian countries.
How are India – Central Asia relations?
India – Central Asia relations transcend the hurdles of disconnect in terms of proper trade channels. The biggest driving factor is the common cultural heritage of both regions, with roots that can be traced back 2,500 years. Ancient Pali literature and the Mahabharata have references to Uttarapatha, which led to Central Asia through the Indo-Gangetic plain. If we talk of the present situation, these cultural similarities have a big impact on keeping the regions on the same page. However, the changing times, with unrest in the Islamic states and the rise of Taliban rule in Afghanistan, have negatively impacted Central Asia.
However, both Central Asia and India have addressed the growing challenges due to COVID-19, which has further shaken the balance of power and the world order. In the wake of constant changes, India – Central Asia relations seem to follow and agree upon a constructive growth trajectory. The deliberations on economic development and building robust trade and connectivity between the two sides are crucial. Furthermore, the concerns shown by both the regions on the emerging problem of Afghanistan and fostering a geopolitical approach give a holistic view of strong cooperation among India and Central Asian countries.
Timeline of the dialogues between India and Central Asia
Apart from PM Modi’s Central Asia tour to all the five countries, namely Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan, there have been several dialogues held between both the regions in the recent years. Here is a timeline of the dialogues and summits held between both sides.
- The 1st India-Central Asia dialogue in Samarkand in January 2019.
- 2nd India-Central Asia dialogue in October 2020 virtually.
- The 3rd India – Central Asia dialogue, held in New Delhi under the Chairmanship of Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
- PM Modi hosts the 1st ever India – Central Asia Summit.
With these dialogues and the recently concluded summits, there has been exclusive support from both sides. This can be inferred from the various MOUs signed between both India and Central Asian countries to build a robust economic, military, and cultural connection with each other.
Impact of PM Modi’s Central Asia tour and hosting the 1st ever summit on India – Kazakhstan relations
Kazakhstan is one of the largest uranium producers globally, with 42% of the global production capacity. India-Kazakhstan’s relations have improved a lot due to India’s constant dialogues and efforts. In 2008, Kazakhstan supported India on the India-specific exemption in the Nuclear Supplier Group. In 2010, India and Kazakhstan signed an agreement to supply 2100 metric tons of uranium, which later increased to 5000 metric tons between 2015 and 2019. The 2015 visit of PM Modi further fostered and emphasised the cultural connection to bridge the gap between the countries.
Furthermore, the three dialogues and the recently concluded summit in January 2022 between India and Central Asian countries have increased the scope for better India – Kazakhstan relations. India and the Kazakh government have signed several MOUs and agreements in having strategic defence, railways, and uranium supplies. The expansion of Civil Nuclear cooperation between Kazakhstan and India will strengthen the nuclear power supply and research for India. Kazakhstan shares a deep connection with India and is one of its biggest economic partners in the Central Asian region.
Conclusion
The consistent efforts to enhance India – Kazakhstan relations are crucial in strengthening India’s nuclear power. Their economic and cultural relations will have a positive impact on fostering India’s standing globally. Its resources will help propel India’s research and development in various sectors and promote foreign investment and outsourcing. Furthermore, from a security perspective, it is crucial to have the Central Asian corridor on the same page to combat terrorism and help mitigate Afghanistan’s unrest.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ireland on September 23, 2015. It was the second time an Indian Prime Minister had visited Ireland. The first being Jawaharlal Nehru’s visit in 1956. Ireland is an island nation located in Northwestern Europe and surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean.
The Prime Minister of Ireland, Enda Kenny, had hosted PM Modi during his visit. The PM was attended by other dignitaries such as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charles Flanagan, and Ireland’s Ambassador to India, Feilim McLaughlin. The main aim of the visit was to create stronger ties and improve trade and cultural relations. Described below is the impact of the PM’s Ireland visit.
Impact on trade and commerce
India and Ireland have strong bilateral trade and business relations. Before the PM’s visit, trades with Ireland were valued at €650 million in business in 2014. This included exports worth €248m and imports worth €402 million.
The indigenous exports increased from €32 million in 2012 to €55 million in 2014. In 2019, the total bilateral trade was around €1.2 billion. The exports and the imports have also increased to €636 million and €480 million respectively. Currently, the total trade between India and Ireland is valued at €4.2 billion. This resulted from improved bilateral ties between the two nations, owing to Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Ireland.
Indian Companies in Ireland
Many Indian companies carry out trade and commerce in Ireland. They provide services to Irish markets and consumers across various industries. Pharmaceutical giants such as Reliance Genemedix and Amneal Pharmaceuticals operate in Ireland. Major IT companies such as Wipro, Infosys, TCS, and HCL also have a strong presence in the country. The trade relations were bolstered after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ireland.
Other companies like Crompton Greaves, Deepak Fasteners, Jain irrigation systems, and Shapoorji Pallonji provide consumer goods and services. Likewise, many Irish companies conduct their business in the Indian market. These companies include pharmaceutical and nutrition players like ICON and Glanbia, IT firms like Globoforce and other companies like Keventer, CRH Taxback Group, and Connolly Red Mills.
Impact on Education
Ireland has been a coveted destination for higher education for Indian students. Over 5000 Indian students have enrolled for higher studies in various institutions in Ireland. The students are admitted to engineering, technology, medicine and management colleges. More than 30 research agreements have been signed between the two nations that allow institutes in both countries to collaborate.
Many reputed institutes like Trinity College, Dublin, and Thapar University, Patiala, have signed MOUs for engineering and science disciplines programmes. Thus, Ireland is an essential collaborator in graduate and doctoral research. This collaboration is also considered an impact of the PM’s Ireland visit.
Indian Community in Ireland
Ireland is diplomatically significant for India also due to the large number of Indian citizens residing there. The Indian origin population is approximately 45,000 people, of whom 18,500 are Non-Resident Indians (NRI), and others are Persons of Indian Origin (PIO). The majority of the residents are working professionals employed in engineering, healthcare and management positions.
It has helped in establishing many policies for the Indian origin population. Two such policies in practice are wearing hijab as a part of the police uniform and the non-requirement of obtaining an additional work permit for the spouse or the partner of Critical Skill Employment Permit holders.
Cultural Impact
As a result of a large population of Indian origin citizens in Ireland and the relationship between the two nations, Ireland promotes Indian culture in various forms. One such example is the celebration of Diwali in Ireland since 2008. The event is organised every year in collaboration with Irish and Indian committees.
Further, an annual contemporary film festival is also a part of the celebration of Indian culture. The promotion of such events indicates the importance of cultural exchange between the two nations. The Irish communities also take a keen interest in conventional practices such as cultivating and consuming Indian herbs and spices. This connects the agricultural practices between the two nations. The cultural ties between the countries were strong, and Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Ireland helped strengthen them further.
Another significant practice is the celebration of International Yoga Day in Ireland. The Irish communities have accepted Yoga as a form of a healthy lifestyle. The practice is similar to the Indian tradition.
Tourism
India attracts around 44,000 Irish tourists every year. Indian tourists too visit Ireland in similar numbers. This was facilitated by the introduction of the common British-Irish visa scheme. This scheme allows the tourists to visit the U.K. and Ireland under one visa, rather than applying for two separate visas. It is valid for short stays. India also extended its Electronic Tourist Visa facility to Ireland to digitally facilitate visa approval and generation. The impact of the PM’s Ireland visit was such that it has also helped establish the tourism sector in both countries.
Conclusion
The diplomatic ties between Ireland and India have been impacted positively after Prime Minister Modi visited Ireland in 2015. It was an essential step toward strengthening the bilateral relationship between these two nations. India and Ireland have been important to each other since the 1900s.
In 2010 and 2017, two honorary consulates were established in Chennai and Kolkata. Later in 2019, a formal and fully functional consulate general in Mumbai. Ireland and India have also shown their allegiance to fighting terrorism after the Pulwama attack. India has also hosted several Irish dignitaries on various occasions. These visits were directed toward engagement in business, education, health and tourism.
Further, many agreements were signed to provide opportunities for employment to people of both countries. Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Ireland helped revive relatively stagnant relations between these two nations. Several cultural and historically similar instances bind these two nations. From Yeats and Tagore to cricket and Diwali, the cultural semblance between these two nations has helped create a strong tie between them.
