Indologist Bayot Rakhmatov: Uzbekistan’s public sees India as a ‘fascinating country’ during PM Modi’s visit

Rakhmatov's remarks came as Prime Minister Narendra Modi began a two-day state visit to Uzbekistan at the invitation of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The visit is framed as a push to deepen cooperation on trade, investment, digital connectivity, defence, and energy.

Concrete steps announced during the visit

• India-Uzbekistan ties were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during delegation-level talks. Leaders planned a joint statement on the new status.
• Uzbekistan introduced a 30-day visa-free regime for Indian citizens, intended to increase people-to-people contacts, tourism, and business exchanges.
• The two countries agreed to move toward a Preferential Trade Agreement and to set up a Joint Working Group to tackle non-tariff barriers and investment obstacles.

PM Modi's scheduled activities in Tashkent include visits to the Shastri Memorial and the Mahatma Gandhi Centre at the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies, which the prime minister described as a tribute to cultural and people-to-people ties. The trip to Uzbekistan is followed by travel to Bishkek to attend the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.

Bishkek marks 25 years of the organisation. The context given with the summit notes the SCO has ten member states, a combined territory of about 36 million square kilometres and a population of more than 3.4 billion. The organisation represents roughly 25 percent of global GDP and over 15 percent of international trade. India has been a full member since 2017.

What Rakhmatov emphasized about public interest

The visit bundles symbolic gestures with policy measures: elevated partnership status, easier short-term travel for Indian citizens, and concrete trade negotiations. Those moves are intended to expand economic and people-to-people links and to institutionalise cooperation on trade and investment.

Modi's visit combined cultural diplomacy and policy commitments. Rakhmatov described widespread Uzbek interest in India rooted in shared history. Leaders used the visit to upgrade bilateral ties, remove a short-term visa barrier for Indians, and set a pathway toward preferential trade and institutional problem-solving on commerce and investment.