Speech by Ambassador Y. K. Sailas Thangal at India-Kazakhstan Strategic Dialogue 2026 (Astana, 24 September, 2026)

Ambassadors, Excellencies, Distinguished Scholars, Experts, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to welcome all of you to this important seminar, “India-Kazakhstan Strategic Dialogue” jointly organised by the Embassy of India, the Kazakhstan Institute of Strategic Studies and L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University.

We are particularly pleased to have with us distinguished experts and scholars from both India and Kazakhstan. Your knowledge and independent perspectives will be invaluable as we reflect on the trajectory of our bilateral relationship and, more importantly, look ahead at how we can further strengthen it.

India and Kazakhstan enjoy an exceptionally warm and trusted political relationship. Our partnership is rooted in deep civilisational linkages, mutual respect and a shared commitment to peace, stability and development. Over the years, our political and strategic engagement has expanded considerably, including in the areas of security, defence, connectivity and regional cooperation.

However, there is one area where I believe we need to do considerably more: economic engagement, particularly trade and investment. Our bilateral trade continues to stay below USD 1 billion mark which is a long standing anomaly and needed to immediately correct it. This figure does not reflect the scale of India’s 1.4 billion consumers, nor does it reflect Kazakhstan’s position as the economic engine of Central Asia. Our two economies are not competitors; rather, they complement one another in ways that create enormous opportunities for mutual growth. Kazakhstan offers India significant opportunities in energy, critical minerals, agriculture, logistics and other sectors. India, with its large and growing market, offers Kazakhstan not only an unsatiable market but also a reliable innovation partner.

Therefore, the Embassy of India in Astana has been making a conscious ceaseless effort to move from dialogue to delivery, and from potential to partnerships.

During 2026, we have intensified our business engagements considerably. We brought together more than 45 Indian pharmaceutical companies and over 200 Kazakh stakeholders in Almaty for India-kazakh Pharmaceutical Business Forum and B2B meetings which went off very well. A CII multi-sector 16 Indian companies business delegation visited Shymkent where EOI organized India-Kazakh Business Forum followed by B2B meetings, and the delegation also visited Astana, Called on the Deputy Minister of Trade, and had a round table business meeting with Atameken and interacted with the Astana International Financial Centre. For the first time TPCI set up India pavilion at the kazBuild International Expo in Almaty from 1-3 September 2026, again for the first time India is going to have its pavilion at the KIOGE in Almaty from 30 September to 2 October 2026. Embassy is also working closely with NAREDCO to bring a high level delegation to Kazakhstan. 

On 6 of September, we took this engagement a step further. In cooperation with Kazakh Invest, we facilitated the visit of around 70 Kazakh companies and more than 120 business representatives to Chennai by chartered flight from 6-9 September 2026. The kazakh Business on 7 September visited Indian manufacturing facilities, pharmaceutical companies, engineering and machine-tool enterprises and research institutions in Chennai. On 8 September organized the India–Kazakhstan Trade and Investment Forum that provided an opportunity for extensive B2B engagement.

Just last week, the Embassy, in cooperation with the Indian Silk Export Promotion Council, organized a two-day Indian Silk Mega Exhibition-cum-Buyer-Seller Meet from 17-18 September 2026 in Astana. These are not isolated events. They are part of a deliberate efforts to create business-to-business connections and generate concrete commercial outcomes.

But we also recognise that business delegations and exhibitions alone are not enough. We need to identify the structural constraints that prevent our economic relationship from reaching its full potential—connectivity, logistics, customs procedures, payment mechanisms, market access, regulatory issues, information gaps and investment facilitation. We also need to identify new areas where the complementarities between our economies can be converted into sustainable partnerships.

This is precisely why today’s seminar is important. I hope our distinguished experts will look at India–Kazakhstan relations from a comprehensive perspective: political and strategic partnership, security, connectivity and economic cooperation. These dimensions are not separate. They reinforce each other.

Improved connectivity can facilitate trade. Greater trade and investment can deepen strategic interdependence. Stronger economic ties can provide a broader foundation for our political partnership. And enhanced security cooperation can contribute to a stable environment for economic development.

India and Kazakhstan therefore have an opportunity to build a relationship that is not only politically strong, but also commercially vibrant, strategically consequential and people-centric.

I would particularly request our scholars and experts today to be ambitious and guide us as to how we could move beyond simply identifying the potential. Let us also ask: What are the specific impediments? What can governments do? What can businesses do? And what should our institutions do differently?

If this seminar can generate a set of concrete, actionable recommendations for policymakers in both India and Kazakhstan, it will have served a very important purpose.

The Embassy of India stands ready to work closely with our Kazakh partners, institutions and business community to take these recommendations forward.

Let us build on the excellent political foundation between our two countries and give it an equally strong economic and commercial foundation.

India and Kazakhstan have the trust. We have the complementarities. We have the political will. What we now need is to convert these assets into connectivity, commerce and concrete partnerships.

I wish the seminar very fruitful deliberations and look forward to its recommendations.

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