The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance founded in 2001. With a membership that includes China, Russia, India, and Pakistan, the SCO represents over 42% of the global population and nearly 23% of global GDP.
Opportunities for India:
- Counter-Terrorism Cooperation: India’s primary interest lies in combating terrorism. The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) provides a platform for intelligence-sharing and coordinated efforts against cross-border terrorism, given the Pakistan’s presence in the bloc.
- Regional Connectivity: SCO complements India’s Connect Central Asia Policy and supports infrastructure development through initiatives like INSTC and the Chabahar Port, enhancing India’s access to resource-rich Central Asia.
- Multilateral Engagement: India uses the SCO to diversify its diplomatic outreach and engage China and Russia on neutral ground, balancing its commitments with Quad and other Western alliances.
- Economic and Cultural Diplomacy: Platforms like the SCO Business Council, the Interbank Consortium, and India’s initiatives such as the Startup Forum and LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) bolster soft power and economic influence.
Challenges for India:
- China-Pakistan Nexus: India’s concerns were sidelined in the 2025 Defence Ministers’ Summit where the Pahalgam terror attack was omitted in the final statement, while Balochistan was mentioned. This reflects the use of SCO by China and Pakistan to undermine India’s counter-terror narrative.
- Diverse Strategic Interests: With members like Iran and China pushing anti-Western rhetoric, India faces the challenge of preserving strategic autonomy and resisting SCO becoming a China-dominated platform.
- Low Trade Volumes: India’s trade with Central Asia remains marginal compared to China’s. Without improved land connectivity via Pakistan, trade ties will remain affected.
- Afghanistan Policy Fracture: India supports an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace process, while many SCO members are engaging bilaterally with the Taliban, diluting collective responsibility.
Way Forward:
India’s SECURE SCO vision (Security, Economic cooperation, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for sovereignty, Environmental protection) must guide its engagement. Steps can include:
- Promoting national currency trade to reduce dollar dependency.
- Strengthening bilateral ties with Central Asian Republics to offset Chinese influence.
- Leveraging SCO to internationalise India’s anti-terrorism stand through credible data and intelligence sharing.
- Advocating consensus-based decision-making to counter the China-Pakistan narrative.
Conclusion:
India’s participation in the SCO is a calibrated foreign policy manoeuvre to balance regional multilateralism with national interest. India must navigate complex geopolitical currents to ensure that its sovereignty, strategic autonomy, and core interests remain uncompromised.
‘+1’ value addition:
- India’s initiatives in SCO:
- SCO Special Working Group on Startup’s and innovation.
- SCO Subgroup on Cooperation in Traditional Medicine.
- SCO Startup forum.
- SCO Young Scientists Conclave.
- Belarus is the first exclusively European Country to join SCO.
- SCO launched Combating Drug Trafficking: SCO Anti-Drug Strategy for 2024-2029.
- The Program of Cooperation in Countering Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism for 2025-2027 was launched.
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