India withdraws from Tajikistan's Ayni airbase

Defence affairs analysis

diplomatic sources suggest that Dushanbe was under growing pressure from Russia and China — both major players in central Asia — not to renew India's lease. As a result, India gradually pulled out its personnel and equipment, keeping the process low-profile.

Located near Dushanbe, Tajikistan's capital, the Ayni airbase was built during the Soviet era and fell into disrepair after the USSR's collapse. India took charge of its renovation under a 2002 bilateral agreement, investing around $80 million to modernise the base.

India's Border Roads Organisation rebuilt the 3,200-metre runway, constructed hangars and fuel depots, and installed an air traffic control system, making the facility suitable for both combat jets and heavy transport aircraft.

Situated about 20 km from Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor — a narrow strip of land bordering Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and China's Xinjiang province — the airbase gave India rare strategic access to a geopolitically sensitive region.

At its operational peak, around 200 Indian military personnel, including Air Force officers and ground staff, were stationed at Ayni, along with a small number of Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets.

The Ayni airbase was India's only operational overseas military facility, giving it both a symbolic and strategic edge in central Asia. Its proximity to Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor offered New Delhi valuable leverage — especially in monitoring developments involving China and Pakistan.

Analysts say the withdrawal represents a loss of strategic depth for India, as it limits the country's ability to project military and intelligence influence in a region where China and Russia are increasingly assertive.

Foreign policy observers also note that Ayni's closure underscores India's limited success in maintaining a sustained military footprint beyond its immediate neighbourhood.