International Affairs
India’s withdrawal from the Ayni Air Base in Tajikistan in 2022 ended two decades of strategic presence in Central Asia after the lease was not renewed, reportedly due to Russian and Chinese pressure.
Located near Dushanbe and close to Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor, the base had served as India’s first overseas military facility, providing surveillance and operational access to a geopolitically sensitive region.
Originally a Soviet installation, it was revived by India in 2001–2002 through the Border Roads Organisation, with upgraded runways, hangars, and refuelling units funded by the Ministry of External Affairs.
While mainly used for humanitarian and evacuation missions, including during the 2021 Afghanistan crisis, India’s withdrawal signalled a strategic loss in its Central Asian outreach amid intensifying regional competition
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