In 2022, the lease agreement that India had signed with Tajikistan for joint “rehabilitation and development” of the Gissar Air Base, commonly known as the Ayni Air Base, lapsed. India then gradually began withdrawing its assets from what had been its only overseas air base. Operational since 2001, Ayni provided India its sole airlink to Central Asia and a platform for wider bilateral cooperation. It was never an overseas base in the manner of American facilities around the world. Media reports often describe it as having been operated by India from 2001-22, but this is far from reality. Nevertheless, three aspects related to India’s presence at Ayni are worth noting.
First, Ayni allowed India to demonstrate its ability to create military infrastructure and build capacity in Central Asian states like Tajikistan. Second, it was a platform from which India projected a broader defence cooperation agenda, especially in military training. Finally, India’s role at Ayni was always shaped by regional geopolitics, primarily Russian oversight, which persists today. Ayni is, therefore, a good example of how India secured an early foothold in Central Asia but did not convert it into a lasting strategic gain.