Modi, Xi and Putin to Meet at SCO Summit: Why Bishkek Talks Matter for India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are meeting in Bishkek as the SCO weighs security, trade and a shifting global order.

The 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, being held in Kyrgyzstan’s capital on August 31 and September 1, brings together some of Eurasia’s most influential leaders at a time of heightened tensions across the Middle East and Europe.

For India, the summit carries significance beyond the formal SCO agenda. Modi is expected to use the gathering to advance India’s interests on regional security, connectivity and economic cooperation while maintaining its longstanding policy of strategic autonomy.

Modi, Xi and Putin Under One Roof

The presence of Modi, Xi and Putin at the same summit places India at the centre of a major diplomatic gathering involving China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan and several Central Asian countries.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and leaders from Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus and Kazakhstan are also attending. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the ASEAN secretary-general are among other prominent participants expected at the wider gathering.

The SCO represents a large part of the Eurasian political and economic landscape. Its members account for roughly 43 per cent of the world's population and about 23 per cent of the global economy.

The organisation has expanded considerably since it evolved from the Shanghai Five into the SCO in 2001. India and Pakistan became full members in 2017, while Iran joined in 2023 and Belarus in 2024.

India-China Relations in Focus

One of the most closely watched developments will be the interaction between Modi and Xi.

India-China relations deteriorated sharply after the 2020 Galwan Valley clash and the subsequent military standoff along the Line of Actual Control. The tensions affected diplomatic engagement, trade and people-to-people links between the two countries.

Over the past year, however, New Delhi and Beijing have taken steps towards stabilising relations. Modi's participation in the SCO summit comes against this backdrop of gradual diplomatic engagement.

Any meeting between Modi and Xi will therefore be watched for indications of how far the recent thaw can progress.

For India, border stability remains a central concern. New Delhi is also keen to protect its economic interests while ensuring that improvements in bilateral relations do not come at the expense of its security priorities.

Modi-Putin Meeting Also Important

Modi is also scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Putin on the sidelines of the summit.

India and Russia continue to maintain close defence and energy ties, despite Moscow's prolonged war in Ukraine and the changing geopolitical environment. Russia remains an important source of defence equipment for India, while bilateral trade has expanded sharply in recent years, particularly through energy purchases.

The two leaders could discuss defence cooperation, energy, trade and wider regional developments.

The Ukraine conflict is also likely to remain part of the broader diplomatic backdrop. Putin is expected to discuss the war with Turkish President Erdogan, with the Black Sea situation among the issues on the agenda.

West Asia War Adds Urgency

The ongoing conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States has complicated the economic and security environment facing SCO members.

The conflict has disrupted important maritime routes, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, affecting energy supplies, shipping costs and international trade.

For India, the situation has direct economic implications because the country depends heavily on imported crude oil and relies on major international shipping routes for trade.

The SCO is expected to discuss economic connectivity and alternative transport corridors as member states look for ways to reduce the impact of disruptions to established trade routes.

PM Modi Meets Iranian President Pezeshkian

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, amid heightened tensions in West Asia. The two leaders reviewed India-Iran bilateral ties and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

They also exchanged views on regional peace, security and stability.

Pezeshkian reiterated that Iran does not seek war but would respond firmly to aggression.

Modi stressed India’s consistent position that conflicts should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, while also highlighting the safety of Indian nationals in the region.

International North-South Transport Corridor in Focus

One major connectivity project likely to receive attention is the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).

The roughly 7,200-kilometre corridor links Russia with India through Iran and the Gulf region. Its development could provide an alternative route for the movement of goods between India, Russia and Central Asia.

With maritime routes facing uncertainty, the importance of land and multimodal transport networks across Eurasia has increased.

India has a direct interest in strengthening such corridors because they can reduce dependence on longer traditional shipping routes and improve access to Central Asian and Russian markets.

SCO Development Bank and Investment Funds

Economic cooperation is another major area under discussion.

The SCO has been working on proposals involving a development bank, development fund and investment fund. Kyrgyzstan's leadership has indicated that moving these initiatives forward is among its priorities.

If progress is made, these mechanisms could provide member states with additional avenues for financing infrastructure and connectivity projects.

However, significant differences remain among SCO members over the structure and scope of economic integration.

Terrorism and Regional Security

Security remains at the heart of the SCO's original mandate.

For India, terrorism and cross-border security are expected to remain major concerns, particularly given its tensions with Pakistan.

New Delhi has repeatedly called for international forums to take a stronger position against cross-border terrorism. The issue has also exposed differences within the SCO because Pakistan and China have their own strategic relationships and priorities.

The organisation has previously struggled to reach common positions on contentious geopolitical questions, particularly when the interests of India, China, Pakistan and Russia diverge.

Afghanistan and Ukraine Also on Agenda

The situation in Afghanistan is another issue expected to feature in discussions.

The SCO has long treated Afghanistan as a regional security concern because of terrorism, political instability, drug trafficking and the potential spillover of conflict into neighbouring countries.

Ukraine is likely to generate another difficult discussion. Russia remains deeply involved in the conflict, while India has maintained a more balanced diplomatic position, calling for dialogue and a peaceful resolution while continuing its relationship with Moscow.

India's Strategic Balancing Act

For Modi, the SCO provides an opportunity to work with China and Russia without committing India to either country's geopolitical camp.

India wants stable relations with China, continued access to Russian defence and energy supplies, stronger links with Central Asia and deeper economic connectivity.

At the same time, New Delhi continues to strengthen its partnership with the United States and other Indo-Pacific countries.

That balancing act is central to India's strategic autonomy. Analysts quoted by have described the SCO less as a unified anti-US alliance and more as a forum where countries with competing interests seek room to manoeuvre in a changing global order.

What the Bishkek Summit Could Signal

The immediate outcome of the SCO summit may be measured through agreements on connectivity, finance, trade and regional security. But the political signals from the meetings between Modi, Xi and Putin could prove equally significant.

For India, the most closely watched questions will be whether the Modi-Xi engagement can consolidate the recent improvement in bilateral ties, how far India-Russia cooperation can advance amid the Ukraine conflict, and whether the SCO can produce practical economic initiatives rather than broad political declarations.

The Bishkek summit therefore places India in a distinctive position: New Delhi is engaging simultaneously with China and Russia while retaining close strategic ties with the United States and its Indo-Pacific partners