Srinagar, Sept. 6 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi's four-day tour of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, from August 29 to September 1, 2026, was more than routine diplomacy - it was India's latest move in a modern-day version of the Great Game, the historic contest for influence across Central Asia once played out between empires and now being replayed among India, China and Russia. The tour, anchored by a state visit to Tashkent and the 26th SCO Summit in Bishkek, reflected New Delhi's growing recognition that ceding the region by default is no longer an option. A Region India Almost Forgot For much of the post-Soviet era, Central Asia sat on the margins of Indian foreign policy - overshadowed by ties with the Gulf, Southeast Asia and the West. ...