TASHKENT: Fifteen years into their strategic partnership, India and Uzbekistan have taken it a step further. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev used Sunday’s talks in Tashkent to elevate ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, backing the announcement with a concrete number: Dollar 5 billion in annual trade by 2030.
That target is ambitious. Bilateral trade only broke past Dollar 1 billion for the first time last year, so hitting Dollar 5 billion within the decade would mean roughly quintupling current volumes.
Uranium supply emerged as the standout deliverable. Modi confirmed the two governments will set up a long-term arrangement for Uzbek uranium to flow into India, calling it among the day’s most significant outcomes. For a country trying to scale up nuclear power generation, locking in a dependable supplier matters almost as much as the volume itself, and Uzbekistan’s position among the world’s larger uranium producers gives New Delhi another source beyond its existing arrangements.
Eleven agreements were signed in total, touching mining, defence, tourism, education and culture, with sister-city and sister-state pacts still being worked out. Talks also ranged into critical minerals, digital infrastructure such as UPI, pharmaceuticals and space cooperation.
Mirziyoyev leaned on India’s reliability as a partner, pointing to a sevenfold jump in joint ventures and 14 weekly direct flights now connecting the two countries. Modi asked for something in return: an actual roadmap, so the commitments produce visible results rather than sitting on paper. Both leaders agreed to convene a joint business summit.
Uzbekistan also honoured Modi personally with the Oliy Darajali Do’stlik, its top civilian distinction. “Uzbekistan is at the heart of Central Asia,” Modi said, “and is at the heart of India’s engagement in the region.”
The visit fits a wider pattern. India has been actively courting uranium suppliers abroad, having reached a similar arrangement with Canada only months earlier, as it works toward lifting nuclear capacity from roughly 8 gigawatts today to 100 by 2047. TPB
