New Delhi [India], June 20: India and Uzbekistan have agreed to strengthen the transport and logistics connectivity for unlocking the full economic potential of their bilateral trade.
Two countries recognised several key issues essential for boosting bilateral trade during the 14th Session meeting of the India-Uzbekistan Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation.
The Uzbek side proposed sharing experience in digital logistics platforms and customs facilitation mechanisms.
During the meeting, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal, Secretary, Department of Commerce, invited Uzbek businesses to participate more actively in trade fairs, buyer-seller meets, investment forums and sectoral events in India.
Both sides agreed to encourage closer engagement between chambers of commerce, export promotion councils, enterprises and sectoral bodies.
The Commission also agreed to hold the 15th meeting of the India-Uzbekistan Intergovernmental Commission in India on a mutually convenient date.
The Commission reviewed the full range of bilateral economic engagement and reaffirmed the strategic character of India-Uzbekistan relations.
Bilateral trade figures
Both sides welcomed the sustained growth in bilateral trade. Uzbekistan reported that trade turnover with India reached US$ 1.3 billion in 2025 (growth of 33.3% over the previous year) and Uzbekistan’s exports to India stood at US$ 164.6 million (growth of 25.4%), while its imports from India reached US$ 1.15 billion, growing by 34.6%. Indian exports to Uzbekistan have grown at a CAGR of 12.9% over the last decade, while India’s services exports to Uzbekistan stood at US$ 372.2 million in 2024.
The Commission discussed several product categories where Indian supplies to Uzbekistan can be expanded. These include pharmaceuticals, medical devices, agricultural products, processed foods, agricultural machinery, engineering goods, electrical machinery, electronics, smartphones, automobiles and auto components, tractor accessories, textiles and textile machinery, chemicals, healthcare services, education services, tourism, logistics and other business services.
Sectors in Focus
Pharma sector
Pharmaceuticals were identified as a priority area. India highlighted its role as the Pharmacy of the World and its capacity to supply affordable and quality-assured medicines, vaccines and active pharmaceutical ingredients.
Agriculture sector
Agriculture and allied sectors received focused attention. Both sides recognized India’s capabilities in agriculture and allied exports, processed foods, agricultural machinery, seed development, agricultural research and climate-resilient farming technologies.
The two sides also discussed ICT and digital cooperation. India highlighted its capabilities in IT, digital public infrastructure, telecom, fintech, cybersecurity, health services, digital education, engineering consultancy and digital logistics.
The Indian side suggested cooperating on customs data exchange and exploring interlinking of payment infrastructure for secure and efficient payments, with a view to supporting tourism, trade and commerce.
Energy Sector
Energy was discussed as an area of strategic cooperation. India noted that its fast-growing digital economy, including rising demand from artificial intelligence, data centres and advanced computing, requires reliable and clean baseload power.
In this context, ensuring critical minerals supply was identified as an important area for advancing India-Uzbekistan energy cooperation.
The Commerce Secretary stated that non-tariff barriers relating to approvals, standards, testing, certification, customs procedures and market-access requirements need regular review; and businesses need predictability, regulators need dialogue and standards bodies need direct contact. A time-bound mechanism on resolving non-tariff barriers to trade would help convert goodwill into trade outcomes.
Ends.
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