CONNECTIVITY CORRIDORS: India's Gateway to South and Central Asia

India holds a geostrategic position on the Indian subcontinent. Its location is more significant given the sharing borders with all the South Asia neighbouring and Central Asia making it an extended neighbourhood region. However, connectivity has not remained in the regional integration framework of the South and Central Asian regions. No matter how hard the regional leadership had worked on this, the optimal result has not been reached yet given the various geopolitical and geostrategic dynamics.

- By Prof. Bawa Singh

The Government of India (GOI) has prioritised intra- and inter-regional connectivity highly because it envisioned a lack of connectivity as a challenge to India's economic and security interests. As far as the South Asian countries are concerned, the Government of India (GOI) has made the Neighbourhood First policy to show that India is serious about connecting with other countries in the region. Although several projects have been initiated with the South and Central Asian countries, there are still problems with implementation, coordination, and execution because of the complicated geopolitics at the regional and multilateral levels.

Importance and Challenges of Connectivity in the Region

Global socioeconomic development has always been influenced by regional connectivity. Spatially connected economic units and sub-regions have historically prospered faster than isolated ones due to their better access to resources and markets. Currently, connectivity includes infrastructure and systems that enable the physical mobility of people, goods, information and technology sharing. Well-connected networks of spatially spread economies have been generating greater growth opportunities for all stakeholders, facilitating balanced and inclusive development in the region.

Transport connectivity is a key enabler in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim to provide safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable transportation to all by 2030. Goal 11 emphasizes “sustainable human settlements,” and Goal 9 emphasizes transboundary transport infrastructure. The SDGs also recognize the importance of transport energy efficiency in meeting rising global energy demand.