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Almaty, 11 June 2026 – 91��ý Kazakh National University hosted a roundtable on the India–Kazakhstan partnership in a changing geopolitical environment. At the Faculty of International Relations, diplomats, scholars and experts from both countries discussed how shifts in the international landscape are shaping Kazakhstan–India cooperation and which areas could serve as key pillars for its future development.

The event was organized by the Faculty of International Relations and the Institute for Security and Cooperation Studies of 91��ý KazNU. Held in a hybrid format, the discussion brought together participants from Kazakhstan and India.

A central event of the meeting was the presentation of two editions: the English-language book India–Kazakhstan Partnership in a Changing Geopolitical Order and its Russian-language version, Партнерство&�Բ�����;ИндиииКазахстана&�Բ�����;в&�Բ�����;меняющихсягеополитических&�Բ�����;реалиях. The English-language edition was edited by Ramakant Dwivedi, Lalit Aggarwal and Kuralay Baizakova. Published by Pentagon Press LLP, the book brings together research by Kazakhstani and Indian authors on geopolitics, economics, transport connectivity, energy, security and the long-term prospects of the partnership.

Opening the roundtable, Zhuldyz Sairambayeva, Dean of the Faculty of International Relations, noted that academic dialogue is becoming an important instrument for strengthening trust between Kazakhstan and India. The meeting was moderated by Professor Fatima Kukeyeva.

The discussion brought together representatives of the diplomatic corps, universities and expert centres from Kazakhstan and India. Participants included Nurlan Zhalgasbayev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Poland and Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to India in 2021–2025; Himanshi Tyagi, official of the Consulate of India in Kazakhstan; Professor Ramakant Dwivedi, Head of the MERI Centre for International Studies and Director of the India–Central Asia Foundation; and Professor Kuralay Baizakova, Director of the Institute for Security and Cooperation Studies.

The presentation of the books was not merely a publishing event, but the outcome of many years of scholarly cooperation between Kazakhstani and Indian researchers. The English-language edition was presented by Dr. Ramakant Dwivedi and Professor Kuralay Baizakova. The Russian-language version was introduced by Dean Zhuldyz Sairambayeva and Professor Zh.Zh. Zhuman. The publication of the translation broadens the reach of the study and makes it more accessible to Kazakhstan’s academic and expert community.

The substantive part of the meeting focused on themes that now shape the strategic framework of relations between the two countries. Ramakant Dwivedi presented an Indian perspective on the changing geopolitics of Central Asia and Kazakhstan’s place in New Delhi’s regional strategy. Cauvery Ganapathy drew attention to prospects for cooperation in civil nuclear energy and critical minerals. Malik Augan examined transport as a factor of integration in international relations, while Saniya Nurdavletova focused on the role of middle powers and issues of regional stability.

The discussion was further enriched by contributions from Firdous Tabassum, Pramod Kumar and Zhulduz Baizakova. They addressed security, energy geopolitics, humanitarian ties and the place of Central Asia in India’s research and strategic outlook.

Transport connectivity occupied a prominent place in the discussion. For Kazakhstan, located at the heart of Eurasia, the development of routes between South and Central Asia carries both economic and strategic significance. For India, these routes open up additional opportunities for trade, business contacts and a more sustained presence in Central Asia.

Energy was another key theme. Participants discussed the potential for cooperation in energy security, civil nuclear energy, critical minerals and sustainable development. Amid the restructuring of global energy markets, these areas are gaining long-term importance for both Kazakhstan and India.

The role of academic diplomacy was also highlighted. Through KazNU, the Faculty of International Relations and the Institute for Security and Cooperation Studies, the Kazakhstani side is developing a sustainable expert platform on international relations, regional security and foreign policy. The Indian side, in turn, is advancing dialogue through the India–Central Asia Foundation, the MERI Centre for International Studies, universities and analytical institutions.

Participants noted that the approaches of the two countries are largely complementary. Kazakhstan has significant geopolitical, transport, energy and intellectual potential in Central Asia. India, for its part, is a major Asian power interested in the sustainable development of the region, the expansion of mutually beneficial ties and the strengthening of multipolar dialogue.

The roundtable at KazNU showed that Kazakhstan–India relations are increasingly moving beyond the framework of traditional diplomacy. Today, their development relies more and more on knowledge, expertise, academic cooperation and the ability of the two countries to jointly interpret the processes that will shape the future of Eurasia.