Rajnath Singh to represent India at SCO CHG meet in Dushanbe on Oct 19-20
Synopsis
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh heads to Dushanbe on 19-20 October for the 25th SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting — India's latest high-level signal of engagement with the 10-member bloc. With trade, connectivity, and green hydrogen on the table, and India's 'Security, Connectivity, Opportunity' framework already road-tested at September's trade ministers' meeting, this is less a ceremonial appearance and more a strategic continuation.
Key Takeaways
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will represent India at the 25th SCO CHG meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan on 19-20 October 2026 .
The agenda covers trade, economy, investment, connectivity, innovation , and cultural-humanitarian cooperation among 10 SCO member states .
India has previously highlighted three pillars — Security, Connectivity, and Opportunity — as its framework for SCO economic engagement.
The previous CHG meeting was held in Moscow on 18 November 2025 , represented by EAM S.
India is pushing for cooperation in critical minerals, green hydrogen, digital trade , and paperless customs within the SCO framework.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will travel to Dushanbe, Tajikistan, to represent India at the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (CHG) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), scheduled for 19-20 October 2026. The high-level gathering brings together heads of government from the 10-member bloc to advance multilateral cooperation across trade, economy, and connectivity.
What the Meeting Agenda Covers
The 25th CHG meeting will focus on strengthening cooperation among SCO member states in the areas of trade, economy, investment, connectivity, innovation, and cultural-humanitarian exchanges. Delegates are also expected to review the progress of ongoing initiatives and take decisions relating to the organisation's financial and institutional functioning, according to the Ministry of Defence.
India's Position and Priorities
New Delhi has underscored its active engagement across SCO mechanisms, with particular emphasis on start-ups and innovation, digital public infrastructure, and people-to-people exchanges. In an official statement, the Ministry of Defence noted that the meeting 'will provide an opportunity for India to exchange views with other SCO Member States on advancing practical and mutually beneficial cooperation within the Organisation.'
Notably, India's engagement with SCO on trade and economic matters was on display as recently as September 2026, when the country highlighted the three pillars of 'Security, Connectivity, and Opportunity' at the 25th meeting of Ministers of SCO Member States Responsible for Foreign Economic and Trade Activities, also held in Dushanbe. At that forum, Additional Secretary (Commerce) Yashvir Singh stressed the bloc's significant economic potential and pushed for increased intra-SCO trade, lower trade costs, resilient supply chains, and enhanced multimodal connectivity.
India's Broader SCO Agenda
At the ministers' meeting in September, India called for simplified customs procedures, paperless trade, and electronic exchange of documents. It also advocated for greater cooperation in strategic and emerging sectors — including agriculture, critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and electronics — and flagged the potential for joint work on energy security, renewable energy, and green hydrogen. These themes are expected to resonate at the CHG meeting as well.
India framed these positions around the vision articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the SCO Summit in Bishkek, reinforcing that India's SCO posture is anchored in economic pragmatism rather than geopolitical posturing.
Previous Meeting and SCO Composition
The last CHG meeting was held in Moscow, Russia, on 18 November 2025, where External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar represented India. The SCO currently comprises 10 member states — India, Belarus, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan — along with two observer states (Afghanistan and Mongolia) and 15 dialogue partners, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, and Sri Lanka.
With Rajnath Singh's participation marking a continued high-level Indian presence at the CHG table, New Delhi's next steps within the SCO framework — particularly on connectivity and supply-chain diplomacy — will be closely watched.
Point of View
Who attended the last CHG — reflects New Delhi's calibrated signalling within the SCO, where security and economic agendas are increasingly intertwined. The bloc's composition, which includes China and Pakistan, makes every Indian intervention at the CHG table a balancing act between bilateral tensions and collective economic opportunity. India's consistent emphasis on digital public infrastructure and supply-chain resilience is carving out a distinct niche, but translating that rhetoric into binding SCO frameworks remains elusive. The real test is whether Dushanbe produces any concrete deliverables on connectivity — where India's interests and China's Belt and Road ambitions frequently collide.
NationPress
18 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Rajnath Singh attending the SCO CHG meeting instead of the External Affairs Minister?
The Ministry of Defence announced that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will represent India at the 25th SCO CHG meeting in Dushanbe on 19-20 October 2026. The previous CHG meeting in Moscow in November 2025 was attended by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar; the rotation of senior ministers to SCO meetings is part of India's broader high-level engagement with the bloc.
What is the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting?
The Council of Heads of Government (CHG) is one of the SCO's two principal decision-making bodies, comprising prime ministers and government heads of member states. It meets annually to focus on trade, economic cooperation, and institutional matters, as distinct from the Heads of State Council, which addresses political and security issues.
What are India's key priorities at the 25th SCO CHG meeting?
India is expected to advance its framework of 'Security, Connectivity, and Opportunity', push for simplified customs and paperless trade, and advocate cooperation in critical minerals, green hydrogen, pharmaceuticals, and digital public infrastructure. These themes were also raised at the September 2026 SCO trade ministers' meeting in Dushanbe.
Which countries are members of the SCO?
The SCO has 10 member states: India, Belarus, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. It also has two observer states — Afghanistan and Mongolia — and 15 dialogue partners including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, and Sri Lanka.
When was the previous SCO CHG meeting held?
The previous CHG meeting was held in Moscow, Russia, on 18 November 2025, where External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar represented India. The 25th edition, scheduled for 19-20 October 2026, is being held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
