India’s Permanent Leadership of SCO Startup & Innovation Group

At the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Kazakhstan, India reaffirmed its permanent chairmanship of the SCO Startup & Innovation Working Group, highlighting its leadership in Eurasian innovation diplomacy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, emphasizing India's strategic approach to Eurasia through innovation, startups, and youth empowerment

India proposed the creation of the Special Working Group on Startups and Innovation in 2020, which was officially established in 2022, with India as its permanent chair, reflecting its strong startup ecosystem and commitment to economic growth

The group fosters cross-border collaboration, incubation support, and knowledge sharing among SCO members, allowing India to export its Startup India model to a significant regional bloc representing a large portion of the global population and GDP

India's leadership role is recognized due to its robust startup ecosystem, which includes over 180,000 startups and more than 100 unicorns, positioning entrepreneurship as a bridge for economic growth and regional stability

India has hosted multiple successful SCO Startup Forums and has expanded participation over the years, demonstrating its commitment to supporting startups through mentorship, networking, and showcasing innovation

The permanent chairmanship allows India to shape cross-border incubation programs, promote women and youth entrepreneurship, and drive joint R&D; collaborations in areas like AI and green technologies

This leadership role strengthens India's startup diplomacy and opens new markets in Central Asia, Russia, and China, reinforcing its position as a central player in regional cooperation and global diplomacy

Looking forward, India plans to introduce new initiatives under the SWG, such as cross-border hackathons and co-investment platforms, to foster collaboration and innovation among entrepreneurs in SCO member states

The reaffirmation of India's permanent chairmanship at the Astana Summit symbolizes the centrality of startups and innovation in regional cooperation, emphasizing continuity and the importance of these themes in global diplomacy