India Withdraws from Ayni Airbase in Tajikistan: What It Means for India’s Strategic Interests in Central Asia

India’s quiet withdrawal from the Ayni airbase — its only overseas military base — ends a two-decade-long strategic chapter that gave New Delhi a rare military foothold in Central Asia.

In a significant geopolitical development, India has officially concluded its operations at the Ayni airbase in Tajikistan, marking the end of its only full-fledged overseas military base. The move, which was quietly carried out in 2022, came after the expiration of a bilateral agreement with the Tajik government that had allowed India to station troops and maintain the base for nearly two decades.

The decision to withdraw from the Ayni Airbase — also known as the Gissar Military Aerodrome (GMA) — closes an important chapter in India’s Central Asian engagement and raises questions about New Delhi’s strategic depth in a region dominated by Russia and China.

What Is the Ayni Airbase?

Located about 10 km west of Dushanbe, Tajikistan’s capital, and roughly 20 km from Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor, the Ayni Airbase was one of India’s most strategically positioned assets abroad.

The Wakhan Corridor, a narrow strip of land in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province, borders Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to the south and China’s Xinjiang province to the east — making the region a geopolitical hotspot.

India first gained access to Ayni in 2002, under a bilateral agreement with Tajikistan that allowed Indian military assistance in renovating and operating the base. Originally a Soviet-era facility left in disrepair after the USSR’s collapse, Ayni was upgraded and modernized with $80–100 million of Indian investment.

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) — a key infrastructure arm of India’s defence establishment — led the renovation, extending the runway to 3,200 metres (suitable for heavy-lift transport aircraft and fighter jets like the Sukhoi-30 MKI), and adding hangars, fuel depots, and an air traffic control tower.

At its operational peak, around 200 Indian military personnel — primarily from the Indian Army and Indian Air Force (IAF) — were stationed at the base. Reports suggest that Mi-17 helicopters and occasionally Su-30 MKIs were deployed there to assist the Tajik Air Force.

Origins and Strategic Purpose

India’s engagement with Tajikistan began even before Ayni. In 1998, New Delhi established its first overseas base at Farkhor, equipped with helicopters, a repair unit, and a field hospital that treated wounded fighters of the Northern Alliance — a coalition opposing the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

After the Farkhor base was shut down around 2008, operations were shifted to Ayni, which became India’s second overseas base and the only full-fledged one to remain active until 2022.

The Ayni base played a vital role in supporting anti-Taliban forces, providing logistical support, aerial assistance, and intelligence coordination for the Northern Alliance. However, India never conducted offensive combat missions from the base.

The airbase was also used during the 2021 evacuation of Indian nationals from Kabul, when the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan — showcasing its logistical utility during crises.

The Withdrawal: When and Why

In 2022, India began quietly pulling out its personnel and equipment from Ayni after the bilateral agreement expired. Officials later confirmed that the facility had been formally handed over to the Tajik government upon the conclusion of the arrangement.

According to sources, Tajikistan refused to renew India’s lease for the base, reportedly under pressure from Russia and China — both of whom maintain strong strategic interests in the region and oppose the presence of “non-regional” military forces.

Following India’s withdrawal, Russian forces are reported to have taken over operations at the airbase by early 2023. However, India is said to maintain a diplomatic and intelligence presence in the region, indicating ongoing engagement despite reduced visibility.

Geopolitical and Strategic Implications for India

The Ayni Airbase was India’s only operational overseas military facility, offering unmatched strategic value. Its location near the Wakhan Corridor provided India with observation and influence capabilities over Central Asia — a region wedged between Russia, China, Afghanistan, and Iran.

From Ayni, Indian military planners had a theoretical reach over Pakistan’s western flank, including potential strike capability near Peshawar. Such a position would have forced Pakistan to divide its resources between eastern and western fronts during a conflict — a significant tactical advantage.

Beyond the Pakistan factor, Ayni also symbolized India’s presence in Central Asia, complementing its Connect Central Asia Policy and countering China’s growing dominance through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

However, with India’s withdrawal, analysts warn that Russian and Chinese influence will now deepen further in Tajikistan — especially amid reports of a Chinese military outpost being developed near the Wakhan Corridor.

As geopolitical analyst Andrea Stauder of BISI,

“While Russia and China remain dominant, India had an opportunity to expand its role beyond security into economic engagement. Its withdrawal from Ayni narrows that scope.”

India’s Investment and Role in Ayni’s Development

Between 2002 and 2022, India spent nearly $100 million developing the Ayni facility. The project, spearheaded by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and strongly backed by then Defence Minister George Fernandes, also saw contributions from National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and former Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa during its planning stages.

This investment covered:

• Runway extension to 3,200 metres for combat and transport aircraft

• Construction of fuel depots, hangars, and air traffic facilities

• Overhaul and modernization of refueling and repair infrastructure

• Deployment of IAF technical teams for maintenance and training

The initiative represented India’s first serious attempt at establishing a forward-operating base in the Central Asian region — a move that paralleled similar expansions by global powers like the United States, Russia, and China.

India’s Current Overseas Military Footprint

After the Ayni withdrawal, India no longer maintains any operational overseas airbase. However, several defence partnerships and training deployments continue to project India’s influence abroad:

• Mauritius (Agaléga Islands): In 2024, India and Mauritius jointly inaugurated an upgraded airstrip and jetty on North Agaléga Island. The new facility enables operations by P-8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft, extending India’s reach across the western Indian Ocean and the east coast of Africa.

• Bhutan: India maintains a Military Training Team (IMTRAT) to train the Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) and Royal Bodyguard (RBG).

• Historical Missions: India temporarily operated from Sri Lanka during the IPKF mission (1987–1990) and from Bangladesh during the 1971 war.

Meanwhile, China has an official overseas base in Djibouti, and reports — based on satellite imagery — suggest it may be developing a new base in Tajikistan. The United States, in contrast, operates over 800 overseas military facilities, including Camp Humphreys in South Korea and Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

Why the Withdrawal Matters

The end of India’s presence at Ayni signals a strategic recalibration of New Delhi’s regional policy. The base once embodied India’s ambition to project power in Central Asia, safeguard its energy interests, and counterbalance Chinese influence.

However, changing regional dynamics — including the Taliban’s return in Afghanistan (2021), Russia’s reassertion of control, and China’s expanding footprint — have altered the operational logic of maintaining the base.

Moreover, India’s focus has increasingly shifted toward the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), where it faces direct strategic competition from China’s naval expansion.

Yet, as analysts note, vacating Ayni leaves a void — reducing India’s immediate military reach in Central Asia and limiting its ability to respond to developments in Afghanistan and the greater Eurasian corridor.

India’s quiet exit from the Ayni Airbase brings to a close a two-decade experiment in overseas defence projection. While pragmatic in the short term, the withdrawal underscores the challenges India faces in sustaining a presence in regions where Russia and China exercise overwhelming influence.

The move may reflect a strategic shift — focusing on the Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific — but it also signals the loss of a hard-earned geopolitical asset that once symbolized India’s ambition to play a larger role in the Eurasian heartland.

As global power competition intensifies, New Delhi’s next steps in Central Asia, whether through economic engagement or security partnerships, will determine whether the withdrawal from Ayni is a temporary retreat — or a long-term realignment.