Nightingale Int. In The National Interest: India, Afghanistan, And The Road To Central Asia

We’re delighted to share that Nightingale Int. is featured in The National Interest with a new article co-authored by our Fellow Vlad Paddack and our Head of Research Eldaniz Gusseinov. The National Interest+2The National Interest+2

Their piece, titled “How Afghanistan Became India’s Gateway to Central Asia”, explores how Afghanistan’s break with Pakistan has opened a strategic window for India, allowing New Delhi to re-emerge as a key economic and diplomatic player in the region. The article traces: The National Interest

• The revival of India–Afghanistan trade and the shift away from transit dependence on Pakistan
• India’s use of Iran’s Chabahar Port and overland corridors to reach Central Asia
• How New Delhi is turning westward to escape growing encirclement by China, drawing on the classical Rajamandala concept of “a neighbor’s neighbor as a natural ally”

Throughout the piece, Vlad and Eldaniz show how Afghanistan is becoming India’s land bridge to Central Asia, and how this fits into broader debates on connectivity, trade corridors, and the emerging Eurasian order. The National Interest

You can read the full article on The National Interest here:
“How Afghanistan Became India’s Gateway to Central Asia” by Vlad Paddack and Eldaniz Gusseinov. The National Interest+2The National Interest+2

We’re proud to see experts from Nightingale Int. contributing to the international debate on Afghanistan, India, and Central Asia’s strategic realignment, and we’ll continue to build on these themes in our upcoming analyses.