Tashkent, Uzbekistan – August 30, 2026
India and Uzbekistan have elevated their bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, following a two-day state visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the invitation of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The visit resulted in the exchange of 11 MoUs, agreements and understandings, alongside a series of announcements spanning trade, mining, critical minerals, uranium supply, defence, digital infrastructure, healthcare and education.
“We will also establish a long-term arrangement for the supply of uranium,” Modi said during the talks, describing it as the next step in the two countries’ energy cooperation.
Mining and Critical Minerals MoU
India and Uzbekistan signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in geology and mineral resources during the visit. According to Sibi George from the Ministry of External Affairs, the agreement “will help work together on important minerals, including uranium supply,” and infrastructure development will also be a part of this cooperation. George noted that “several Indian companies are already expanding their footprint in Uzbekistan.”
The two countries’ joint statement outlined a broader framework for natural resources covering geology, mining, nuclear energy, industrial cooperation, and critical and strategic minerals, including projects for processing mineral resources, producing value-added products, and recycling initiatives. Both leaders “expressed interest in encouraging Indian companies to participate in the development of prospective mineral deposits in Uzbekistan” and in enabling Uzbek enterprises to pursue joint collaboration in India.
Uranium Supply Framework
India already imports uranium from Uzbekistan under a 2019 contract covering 1,100 metric tonnes of natural uranium concentrate, with deliveries scheduled through 2026. According to a parliamentary answer published in March 2025, India had received 600 metric tonnes under that agreement by that point. The uranium is used in civilian nuclear power reactors operating under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards.
The new long-term uranium supply framework announced during this visit is intended to extend and expand on that existing arrangement, though the MEA said an agreement “could be signed very shortly”, indicating final terms were still being finalised at the time of the visit.
The Trade and Institutional Framework was established.
The two countries set a bilateral trade target of $5 billion. To support the expanded partnership, Modi proposed establishing a Coordination Council at the foreign minister level to guide cooperation and said the existing joint commission would be upgraded from secretary-level to ministerial-level. Both sides also agreed to jointly organise a business summit involving companies from both countries and to prepare sector-specific roadmaps covering energy, critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, jewellery and agriculture.
Other Areas of Cooperation
Beyond mining and uranium, the visit produced agreements and discussions across digital public infrastructure (including UPI), artificial intelligence, clean energy, space, nuclear energy, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, agriculture and education. The two sides highlighted the Tashkent Pharma Park as a platform for joint pharmaceutical manufacturing, localisation and technology transfer, and signed a separate MoU on cooperation in Ayurveda and traditional medicine. A Letter of Intent was also exchanged for the conservation and restoration of the ancient Buddhist sites of Fayaz Tepa and Kara Tepa in Uzbekistan’s Termez region.
President Mirziyoyev conferred Uzbekistan’s highest honour for foreign leaders, the ‘Oliy Darajali Do’stlik’ Order, on Prime Minister Modi during the visit, recognising his contribution to strengthening ties between the two countries.
Context
Uzbekistan holds resources across gold, copper, uranium and a range of critical minerals and rare earth elements and has been actively courting foreign investment in its mining and metallurgy sector, including a separate 2024 critical minerals MoU signed with the United States. India’s Ministry of Mines has separately been building its own critical minerals framework, including a November 2024 MoU with the International Energy Agency aimed at improving data access, analysis and policy coordination in the sector.