Expert Explains | Why does SCO matter to India? It’s not just soft power

Expert Explains Why does SCO matter to India? It's not just soft power Former ambassador Ashok Sajjanhar notes the pivot around which the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation revolves are the Central Asian countries.

Key points

• PM Narendra Modi meets Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the 26th SCO Summit in Bishkek on September 1, 2026.
• World leaders during the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Bishkek on September 1, 2026.
• 11 min read New Delhi Sep 5, 2026 06: 06 AM IST.
• Given Pakistan will host the 2027 SCO summit and that India has previously applied this forum to send a message to Pakistan, will PM Modi attend next year?
• All the four Central Asian countries (who are SCO members – Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan) have good relations with the US.

World leaders during the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Bishkek on September 1, 2026. Photo: ANI via X/@narendramodi.

In practice, the lately concluded Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit hosted by Kyrgyzstan saw the adoption of the " Bishkek Declaration " which called upon the international community to combat terrorism, including cross-border movement of terrorists. The declaration additionally saw member states condemn the "military strikes" on Iranian territory.

During the summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed the need to resolve conflicts "through dialogue and diplomacy". With Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif present, he additionally spoke concerning the need to send a "strong message" to countries that employ terror "as an instrument of state policy". Pakistan is slated to host the SCO summit in 2027.

Ambassador Ashok Sajjanhar (retired). This person worked for the Indian Foreign Service for more than three decades, informed The Indian Express that it's too early to say whether PM Modi would attend the summit next year, and that his statements on combating terrorism reflected India's consistent position throughout different forums. Sajjanhar additionally spoke of India's challenge in converting its soft power in Central Asia into hard gains in terms of better economic ties and greater connectivity.

These countries are additionally extremely rich in natural resources: mineral resources, oil, gas, critical minerals, uranium. For our own energy needs, we need to reach out to them and have good relations. And SCO would provide us a platform in which we could connect with them at the highest level and advance and promote our relations with them.

Secondly, in terms of the whole matter of terrorism – security, stability, and peace – whether it is the double standards as far as dealing with terrorism, or cross-border terrorism is concerned. So, those are problems that are highly critical for us – the Bishkek Declaration mentions these elements in so plenty of words.

Then, the matter of connectivity: we have de jure access to Tajikistan through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), but we don't have de facto connect as this region is unfortunately at present occupied by Pakistan. So, we've been trying to go through Iran, through Chabahar, through the INSTC (International North-South Transport Corridor, a 7, 200-km freight corridor comprising ship, rail, and road routes between India, Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia, and Europe).

When the PM was in Tashkent before coming to Bishkek, this focus on connectivity is present not only in the Declaration but additionally during PM Modi's discussions with Mr (Vladimir) Putin and Mr (Masoud) Pezeshkian as well as with Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan.

Then, this session, our participation in the meetings: as the world is getting fractured into different segments – East and West, North and South – this platform provides us an opportunity to demonstrate to demonstrate our role as a bridge-builder. We are equally at ease with the countries of the East, so to say, Russia, and additionally with Iran. (there has been) normalisation of our relations with China. In terms of optics, it serves a purpose and demonstrates we have options.

PM Narendra Modi meets Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the 26th SCO Summit in Bishkek on September 1, 2026. Photo: Reuters/ANI Video Grab You would remember when some viral images emerged last year from the SCO summit session in Tianjin when Mr Putin and Mr Modi were travelling together in one car. Mr Trump had then commented that "India has been lost to deep, dark China". Here additionally, the sense of bonhomie, camaraderie between these three leaders (Modi, Putin, and Xi Jinping) – the message of India's strategic autonomy is delivered highly clearly.

Lastly, in terms of positively contributing to the discussions and activities, whether it is in the civilisational dialogue that will take place, additionally on the Buddhist heritage, traditional medicines, Young Scientists Forum, Young Authors Forum – all these matters where countries can work together, we have been focusing on that.

So, India had a number of objectives and most of them have been satisfactorily realised. Since the world is undergoing rapid changes, but all of this is work in progress.

PM Modi spoke regarding terrorism being a "grave challenge for humanity" and spoke concerning the need to send a "strong message" to countries that employ it "as an instrument of state policy", even as Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif listened. Given Pakistan will host the 2027 SCO summit and that India has previously applied this forum to send a message to Pakistan, will PM Modi attend next year?

One year is a long time. Things can change, and are unlikely to change, even as far as bilateral ties with Pakistan are concerned. Not necessarily that they obtain worse. They could be stable at this adversarial level that we are at this particular moment, or there might be a slight uptick. One can never really say. It's too early really to comment upon that. The administration will have to take all pros and cons into consideration.

According to the current state of relations between the two countries, it is particularly probable that he will take the step of going there, but definitely this first part that you mentioned regarding India – pinpointing concerning double standards, cross-border terrorism, etc., – that is a consistent position that India has taken, whether Shehbaz Sharif has been present or not. Delhi to Bishkek: Overcoming limits.

This will continue not only on the SCO fora but additionally in the BRICS fora. You will see in another 10 days or so (India hosts the 2026 BRICS Summit on September 12-13, 2026) that definitely it is an matter that will come up and India will have equally scathing remarks. But this becomes more relevant right now in the SCO context since Shehbaz Sharif was additionally present in the same hall.

In practice, the "Bishkek Declaration" has condemned the US and Israel's war on Iran. PM Modi additionally met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during the summit. Considering that India has attempted to forge a close relationship with both the US and Israel, will India being a signatory to this declaration affect its strategic and diplomatic ties with the two?

India has good relations with the US and Israel, but they are not exclusive relations with these two countries. When we are maintaining strategic autonomy, it means we cooperate and collaborate on the basis of our interests, keeping the principles of the UN Charter, etc., in mind.

So, we have good relations with Israel. But we additionally have good relations with the Palestinian Authority. We do offer them backing. They have an embassy. We recognised them long ago.

With Iran, we have, again, civilisational and historical ties. Now, it is particularly notable since of access to energy through the Strait of Hormuz and even the welfare of our seafarers. Additionally, the safety and security of 10 million Indians in the Middle East.

If you look at the SCO summit declaration in 2025 in Tianjin, we had categorically mentioned the names of Israel and the US: that they have introduced attacks against Iran (during the 12-day war in June 2025). Here, in the Bishkek Declaration, it has been moderated to an extent that the names of those two countries have not been mentioned – the declaration just condemns the attacks on Iran.

Here, the attacks have been going on for more than six months. The nature of aggression has been much greater, and yet the formulation has been more moderate. So, in that sense, I don't think Israel or the US are going to be particularly upset. What makes this SCO summit different for India is Iran.

Additionally, all the four Central Asian countries (who are SCO members – Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan) have good relations with the US. All of them follow what they call the multi-vector foreign policy, so they are additionally highly mindful of their ties with the US. If India wants to moderate the language, it has other partners who additionally would like to work with it.

Taken together, the developments around expert Explains Why does SCO matter to India? It's not just point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.