MULTILATERAL GROUPING · SCO
SCO
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is Eurasia's largest regional security and economic grouping, covering over 40% of the world's population and 30% of global GDP. Founded in 2001 from the Shanghai Five (1996), the SCO began as a border-dispute resolution mechanism between China, Russia, and Central Asian states before evolving into a broad political, security, and economic platform. India joined as a full member in 2017 alongside Pakistan, making it one of the SCO's largest members by population and economy. The 2025 Tianjin Summit — SCO's 25th — adopted a ten-year Development Strategy (2026–2035) and saw the grouping expand to 27 members. India's participation reflects its strategic autonomy doctrine: engaging with a China- and Russia-led forum while maintaining its own positions on connectivity, sovereignty, and counter-terrorism.
MEMBER STATES
The 10 members and what each brings
India
Strategic balancer
BRINGS TO THE TABLE
- Counter-terrorism expertise, clean energy, pharmaceuticals
China
Founding member & host
BRINGS TO THE TABLE
- Infrastructure financing, BeiDou satellite access, $1.4bn loans pledged 2025
Russia
Co-founding member
BRINGS TO THE TABLE
- Energy exports, military cooperation, alternative financial systems
Pakistan
South Asia link
BRINGS TO THE TABLE
- Geographic corridor to Central Asia, CPEC connectivity
PRIORITY AREAS
Six themes, project-by-project execution
Counter-terrorism & security
The SCO's founding mandate. The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), headquartered in Tashkent, coordinates intelligence sharing and joint operations against the 'three evils' — terrorism, extremism, and separatism. The 2025 Tianjin Summit renewed the extremism cooperation programme through 2030 and launched a new SCO cybercrime coordination centre. India consistently calls out 'double standards' on terrorism, referencing Pakistan's record.
Flagship: RATS · Tashkent · Joint Peace Mission exercises
Connectivity & trade corridors
The SCO is split between China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) — which India refuses to join citing sovereignty concerns over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor — and India's preferred alternatives: the Chabahar Port-anchored International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) connecting Mumbai to Russia via Iran. The 2025 summit working group on digital economy, e-commerce, and fintech was a new addition. Local currency trade settlement is expanding across members.
Energy & climate
A Joint SCO Climate Action Plan was adopted at the 2025 Tianjin Summit, focusing on renewable energy deployment and water security in Central Asia — a region acutely vulnerable to glacial melt and drought. Cross-border pipeline proposals between Russia and Central Asian states are an ongoing agenda item. India promotes clean energy cooperation and has offered pharmaceutical and agri-tech partnerships to Central Asian members.
Digital economy & AI
China opened its BeiDou satellite navigation system to SCO members at the 2025 summit, alongside a pledge of $1.4 billion in loans over three years for digital and infrastructure projects. A new working group on digital economy, e-commerce, and fintech was established. India has advocated for sovereignty-respecting digital standards — a counterpoint to China's more centralised AI governance model.
Flagship: BeiDou satellite access · $1.4bn Chinese loans 2025
SCO Development Bank
The 2025 Tianjin Summit agreed in principle to establish a dedicated SCO Development Bank to fund infrastructure and social development projects across member states. The proposal, long floated by China, was resisted by India and Russia in past years; the 2025 agreement on a founding framework marks a significant step. Governance structure and capitalisation are under negotiation.
INDIA'S ROLE
What India brings, what India gets
India joined the SCO in 2017 for strategic rather than ideological reasons — access to Central Asian energy corridors, a platform to engage Russia and China simultaneously, and counter-terrorism cooperation that legitimises its concerns about Pakistan. India is the only SCO member that publicly refuses to endorse the Belt and Road Initiative and has consistently pushed alternative connectivity models (Chabahar, INSTC). PM Modi attended the August 2025 Tianjin Summit — his first visit to China in years — signalling that border tensions had stabilised enough for re-engagement. India's India-specific framing 'One Earth, One Family, One Future' was formally embraced in the Tianjin Declaration.
INDIA CONTRIBUTES
- ·Counter-terrorism expertise and advocacy against state-sponsored terrorism
- ·Alternative connectivity: Chabahar Port and INSTC as BRI counterweight
- ·Pharmaceutical and clean-energy partnerships for Central Asian members
- ·Credibility as the world's largest democracy in a grouping dominated by authoritarian states
INDIA RECEIVES
- ·Access to Central Asian energy resources — oil, gas, uranium
- ·Platform to counter China-Pakistan influence in Eurasia
- ·Diplomatic space between Russia-China convergence and the Western bloc
- ·RATS counter-terrorism infrastructure and intelligence-sharing mechanisms
OUTCOMES TO DATE
What SCO has actually produced
UPDATED 19 AUG 2026
FLAGSHIP 01
20 docs
Aug 2025 · SCO's 25th Summit
The 2025 Tianjin Summit adopted approximately 20 key documents including the Tianjin Declaration, the SCO Development Strategy 2026–2035, and cooperation frameworks on extremism and energy. India's 'One Earth, One Family, One Future' vision was formally embedded in the declaration — a diplomatic win for New Delhi.
FLAGSHIP 02
40%
Of world population · 30% of global GDP
SCO member states collectively account for over 40% of the global population and approximately 30% of world GDP, making it the largest regional organisation by population. With 27 members and partners as of 2025, it spans from Eastern Europe to Southeast Asia.