2025, Vol. 7, Issue 5, Part A

Azerbaijan is an important part of India's growing strategic relationship with Central Asia. It is a key link between the South Asian subcontinent and the resource-rich, landlocked Central Asian countries. Azerbaijan has a unique geo-strategic advantage because it is close to both the Caspian Sea and the larger Eurasian area. It is at the intersection of Europe and Asia. India wants to change its foreign policy and gain more economic, political, and cultural power in Central Asia. Azerbaijan is becoming an important partner for India in this effort to improve trade, energy security, and regional connections. India is becoming more and more interested in Central Asia, which has a lot of natural resources. This is especially true when it comes to energy security, trade within the area, and working together to fight terrorism. Because of its energy wealth, central location, and strong infrastructure, Azerbaijan is a way for Indian goods and services to get to Central Asia. It is also a way for energy imports, especially natural gas and oil. Building energy pipelines like the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline and the Southern Gas Corridor makes Azerbaijan an important player in the energy security of the area. India could use these energy routes to meet its growing energy needs. There are a lot of chances for India through this partnership. India and Central Asia can now deal with each other more easily thanks to Azerbaijan's infrastructure projects, such as its transport networks and the Baku International Sea deal Port. Also, India and Azerbaijan could work together more on defence and diplomatic issues because they are both worried about the stability of the area, especially when it comes to terrorism and extremism. India could improve its relationships with other major powers in the region, like Russia and Turkey, which play important roles in Central Asian politics, by strengthening its ties with Azerbaijan. But there are some problems that make this relationship harder to work out. Some of these are the geopolitical rivalries between regional powers, like Russia's impact in Central Asia and the ongoing tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which could make it harder for people in the region to work together. Also, problems with infrastructure, unstable politics, and competing foreign interests could make it hard for India, Azerbaijan, and Central Asia to work together as much as they could. As a key partner for India in its efforts to reach out to Central Asia, Azerbaijan holds a lot of promise. There are problems, but if India keeps working with Azerbaijan, it could greatly improve its diplomatic, economic, and security presence in the area, leading to better cooperation and mutual gain.