India, Aug. 29 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi's four-day visit to Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic comes at a time when Central Asia is becoming increasingly important to India's economic, security and connectivity calculations.

Modi began his visit to Uzbekistan on Saturday (August 29) and will travel to Bishkek for the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State Summit from August 31 to September 1.

The itinerary combines a bilateral state visit with one of the region's most consequential multilateral gatherings.

The immediate agenda ranges from trade, investment and energy to defence, digital connectivity and education.

At the SCO summit, India is expected to emphasise security, counter-terrorism, conn...