Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at SCO talks in Dushanbe on Tuesday asked member states to work together to dismantle the entire ecosystem of terrorism, calling it one of the gravest threats to peace and development.

He was addressing the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (CHG) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the Tajik capital. The Ministry of Defence had announced the Rajnath Singh Dushanbe visit on Sunday. Tajikistan, which chairs the council this year, is a long-standing partner of New Delhi, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

Terrorism kills innocent people and drives away investment and trade, he told the gathering. It radicalises societies and takes away the opportunities young people rightfully deserve, he said.

"There can be no justification for terrorism, no double standards in addressing it, and no place for those who finance, support, or provide safe havens to terrorists," Singh said, according to the Ministry of Defence.

Terror stand matches India's line at earlier SCO meetings

India has held this position firmly inside the grouping. At the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting in Qingdao, China, in June 2025, India declined to sign the joint document because it did not reflect India's concerns on terrorism, according to reports at the time. That meeting came weeks after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.

The Dushanbe council is a different forum. It handles the SCO's economic agenda, and most of the Defence Minister's address dealt with trade, connectivity and development.

Rajnath Singh at SCO calls for fewer new bodies and more results

He recalled the SCO Summit in Bishkek in August and September this year, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for concrete steps by the Organisation on security, connectivity and opportunity. Economic engagement, Singh said, should be inclusive and should benefit every member state.

"India believes that the SCO must remain efficient and steadfast in its adherence to the principles of sovereign equality, consensus, and mutual respect. A greater number of institutions does not necessarily translate into greater achievements," he said. New mechanisms, he added, should meet clearly identified needs, avoid duplication and deliver practical value to members.

Rajnath Singh at SCO talks also welcomed the Bishkek decisions to make the Universal Centre in Tashkent and the Anti-Drug Centre in Dushanbe permanent bodies of the Organisation. How well they work will depend on coordination and timely execution, he said.

The global economy, he said, is uncertain. He listed geopolitical tensions, disruptions to trade and supply chains, concerns over energy and food security, and new technology gaps between countries. The SCO needs to build consensus and turn it into action by strengthening supply chains, easing trade and investment, and using technology for development. The benefits of economic cooperation must reach every section of society, he added, and India backed the Action Plan for the Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation Programme for 2026 to 2030.

Connectivity must respect sovereignty, Defence Minister says

India supports projects that link markets and open new routes for trade. Singh named the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and Chabahar Port as two initiatives that can help connect Central Asia with wider markets.

Connectivity, he stressed, must rest on consultation and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries. Projects not built on these principles will not be sustainable. New Delhi has long applied this test to large regional projects. It is the reason India has stayed out of China's Belt and Road Initiative, whose China-Pakistan Economic Corridor runs through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Roads and ports are only part of it. Singh asked members to simplify customs procedures, promote digital documentation, improve logistics and adopt interoperable digital systems to cut the cost of doing business across the region. He mentioned the symposium on financing infrastructure projects in Central Asia, held in Mumbai earlier this month, and thanked Central Asian countries and SCO partners for taking part. He also acknowledged the first SCO Asian Economic Dialogue.

India's ties with Central Asia have grown on the defence side too. The sixth India-Uzbekistan Joint Working Group on defence cooperation met in Tashkent in August, and Indian and Kazakh troops closed Exercise KAZIND this month with a 72-hour validation exercise at Oskemen. Both countries, like Tajikistan, are SCO members.

Success measured by jobs for youth and markets for small firms

"Our success should be measured by the opportunities we create for youth, new markets we open for our entrepreneurs, technologies we make available to our farmers and small-scale business owners, and the connections we foster among societies," Singh said.

He pointed to India's own record. Digital Public Infrastructure has changed how public services reach citizens and widened financial inclusion. India has built one of the world's largest start-up ecosystems, and its focus on women-led development rests on the belief that women play a central role in the country's growth.

He also cited the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, which back affordable clean energy and climate-resilient development. Mission LiFE promotes sustainable lifestyles. The Global Biofuel Alliance works on cleaner energy.

India to host first SCO Civilisational Dialogue Forum

Singh invited member states to the first SCO Civilisational Dialogue Forum, which India will host later this year. He urged the SCO to build on the foundation laid over the past 25 years and set a roadmap based on consensus and tangible outcomes, and said India would work closely with every member state towards it.

The meeting reviewed progress in multilateral economic and trade cooperation and discussed steps in transport, finance, the digital economy and social development. India has been a full member of the SCO since 2017.

Heads of delegation adopted the Joint Communique of the 25th CHG meeting, which includes the SCO budget for 2027, financial and administrative decisions, and the Action Plan for 2026 to 2030. The grouping's work between meetings is coordinated by its Secretariat in Beijing.