The Centre for Central Asian Studies (CCAS) at Guru Nanak Dev University organised a lecture on “India-Central Asia Ties During the Cold War”, bringing together diplomats, academics and scholars from Central Asian countries to examine the historical and strategic dimensions of India’s engagement with the region during a period of major geopolitical transformation.Ambassador Ashok K Sharma, Indian Foreign Service (Retd), who has served in Kazakhstan, Estonia and Finland, chaired the session. Drawing on his diplomatic experience, he discussed India’s foreign policy and engagement with Central Asia during the Cold War, placing the relationship in its broader geopolitical context.“We followed a policy of non-alignment in principle, strategic autonomy in objective, putting our own security interests at the top,” he said.Dr Raj Kumar Sharma of Süleyman Demirel University, Almaty, Kazakhstan, analysed the historical, political and strategic dimensions of India–Central Asia relations during the Cold War.“While the Cold War restricted India’s direct intervention in Central Asian countries, the relevance of these historical linkages for understanding India’s contemporary engagement with the Central Asian region is quite important. Modern-day geopolitics requires greater cooperation and policy- and development-based partnerships with Central Asia,” he said.Dr Swati Mehta, coordinator, CCAS, outlined the objectives and academic activities of the centre. She said an understanding of India’s historical engagement with Central Asia was essential to appreciating the contemporary trajectory of bilateral relations. She also highlighted the centre’s focus on research, academic dialogue, policy-oriented discussions and collaborative initiatives on Central Asia.Dr Aditya Parihar of the Department of Social Work was also among the speakers. The event provided participants an opportunity to discuss various aspects of India–Central Asia relations during the Cold War and their continuing relevance in the contemporary geopolitical context.Officials from the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan also participated in the event.The lecture reflected the university’s continued efforts to promote academic dialogue and strengthen research and institutional engagement with strategically important regions. It also provided a platform for informed discussion on the historical foundations of India’s relations with Central Asia.