India could gain greater strategic leverage through SCO: Report

New Delhi, Aug 23 (IANS) India views the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) less through the prism of ideological alignment and more as a platform of strategic utility, a report has stated.

In the changed geopolitical landscape, its relevance lies in New Delhi’s ability to leverage the forum for connectivity, counterterrorism and cultural diplomacy while balancing China’s dominance, the report mentioned.

If the SCO evolves into a forum capable of delivering tangible outcomes, India could gain greater visibility and strategic leverage across Eurasia.

Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, is hosting the SCO Summit under its 2026 Chairmanship, with the Heads of State meetings scheduled for August 31- September 1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the summit, according to a report in the ‘International Centre for Peace Studies.’

Marking its 25th anniversary this year, the SCO has adopted the theme, ’25 years of the SCO: Together Towards Sustainable Peace, Development and Prosperity’.

The SCO was established on June 15, 2001, with its founding members being China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. In 2017, India and Pakistan joined it. In 2023, Iran became a member, followed by Belarus in 2024, bringing the total number of SCO member states to 10.

The SCO has two observer states — Afghanistan and Mongolia — and 14 dialogue partners — Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, the Maldives, Myanmar, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait.

Collectively, the SCO grouping accounts for 25 per cent of the world’s territory and nearly 45 per cent of its population. Their combined share stands at approximately 23 per cent of global nominal GDP and 36 per cent in PPP terms.

The report highlighted that since becoming an official member of the SCO in 2017, India has played a role in advancing and facilitating several concrete initiatives.

“These include: devising anti-terror frameworks with mutual accountability, developing principle of ‘zero tolerance and no double standards’, making counter terrorism as an important cornerstone of regional security architecture and making it credible and resilient, instituting a ‘Civilizational Dialogue Forum’, build on G-20 Delhi 2023 summit motto of ‘One Earth, One Family, and One Future’, institutionalise increased cultural interaction and people-to-people exchanges, promoting Buddhist heritage, cultural festivals and fostering mutual understanding, establishing an ‘SCO Start-Up and Innovation Corridor’,” it detailed.

According to the report, India’s leadership in regional connectivity and infrastructure projects, coupled with the operationalisation of a counter-radicalisation initiative within the SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), can help develop a people-centric and actionable framework to curb radicalisation and external ideological influences.

It noted that “promoting a unified SCO Voice on environmental sustainability through joint research and development, technology transfer, adoption of green and clean technologies, etc., can also be leveraged for the SCO grouping’s overall development”.

–IANS

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