India Withdraws from Ayni Airbase

Syllabus: GS1/Places /GS2/IR

In News

• India has shut down its operations at the Ayni airbase in Tajikistan, a key overseas facility that had provided its strategic influence in Central Asia. 

Ayni Airbase

• The airbase, originally built during the Soviet era, was in poor condition following the split of the Soviet Union.
  • India invested around $80 million since 2002 to upgrade it with a 3,200-metre runway, hangars, fuel depots, and air traffic control, largely executed by the Border Roads Organisation
• It is situated in Tajikistan around 20 km from Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor, which shares a boundary with the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and with China’s Xinjiang province.

Importance 

• Ayni was India’s only full-fledged overseas base, and its location offered India a military foothold in central Asia and leverage over Pakistan.
  • It also facilitated evacuation operations after the Taliban’s return in 2021. 
• It served as a strategic Indian military outpost and initially used during India’s support to the Northern Alliance against the Taliban.
  • At its peak, around 200 Indian personnel and Sukhoi-30 MKI jets were stationed there. 
• Its presence projected influence in the region dominated by major powers like Russia and China.

Reasons Behind Recent Withdrawal

• India withdrew from the Ayni airbase in Tajikistan in 2022 after its bilateral agreement for rehabilitation and development of the facility concluded. 
• The Tajik government reportedly declined to renew the lease due to pressure from Russia and China.
• The withdrawal was carried out quietly and only came to light recently. 
• Its loss is seen as a setback for India’s long-term strategic influence and regional security posture, especially given the significant investments made over two decades.

Source :IE