Summary
- India’s defence minister, Rajnath Singh, is due in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, for a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting on October 19 and 20.
- The defence ministry said Singh will stand in for India at the 25th round of talks of the Council of Heads of Government.
- Rajnath Singh will join delegations from the member states in Dushanbe, where Pakistan, as a permanent member, also has a seat.
India’s defence minister, Rajnath Singh, is due in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, for a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting on October 19 and 20.
The defence ministry said Singh will stand in for India at the 25th round of talks of the Council of Heads of Government. Heads of government and other senior figures from member states sit on the council.
The ministry said the gathering will focus on deeper cooperation among members across trade, investment, connectivity, innovation and cultural and humanitarian exchanges.
Rajnath Singh and the SCO agenda
The agenda is broad. It covers trade and culture alike. Delegates plan to review how existing joint projects are going. They will also take decisions on how the bloc runs its finances and institutions.
Reports added that talks also touch transport, industry, the digital economy and financial ties. Social and cultural links appear on the list too. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to take part virtually, which shows the weight New Delhi gives the meeting.
India’s ministry stressed that the country stays active in several SCO mechanisms. It listed start-ups, digital public infrastructure and links between ordinary people among its contributions.
Dushanbe also offers India a chance to compare notes with other members on practical, mutually useful cooperation, the ministry said.
A different face this year
Last year, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar represented India at the previous council meeting, which took place in Moscow on November 18.
However, this time Rajnath Singh takes the role. In April, he also went to Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan for the SCO defence ministers’ meeting.
His trip follows a sharp exchange with Pakistan. It recently condemned fresh military threats from India’s defence minister and said they showed a belligerent posture.
About the SCO
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation ranks among the biggest regional groupings in the world, with a focus on economic and security matters.
Indian media describe it as an influential economic and security bloc. The group began in 2001, when Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan met in Shanghai.
India and Pakistan became permanent members in 2017. Iran and Belarus have joined as well, so several rivals share one table.
Because the council deals mainly with economic questions, delegations usually keep sharp political exchanges out of the room. Even so, regional tension often hangs over such events.
Moreover, officials gave no details about bilateral meetings that Rajnath Singh might hold on the sidelines of the summit. India says the visit will let it share its own work on start-ups and digital public infrastructure with partners, and hear what others plan in return.
The council last met in Moscow on November 18, 2025. Rajnath Singh will join delegations from the member states in Dushanbe, where Pakistan, as a permanent member, also has a seat.
The two-day gathering ends on October 20. By then, member governments hope to have taken decisions on the organisation’s budget and structure.
For India, the trip puts the defence minister at the table with the other member governments for two days of talks.
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