‘Kazakhstan biggest supplier of uranium to India, new contract likely to be signed soon’

Kazakhstan is India’s largest trade and investment partner in Central Asia. The total bilateral trade between both the countries has more than doubled to $2.4 billion last year from $1.2 billion in 2018. There has been a constant and regular flow of trade in goods and, more importantly, exchange of ideas and cultural influences.

India and Kazakhstan have had trade and cultural relations for more than 2,000 years. In an exclusive interview,

Dr Nawab Mir Nasir Ali Khan, Consul of the Republic of Kazakhstan for the states of Telangana & Andhra Pradesh and Promoter & Managing Director of MAK Projects Pvt Ltd, tells Bizz Buzz how the two nations are elevating their strategic partnership to the next level

Could you please provide a brief overview of your professional background and your role as the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Kazakhstan in India?

My role is to promote goodwill and harmony, bilateral trade and commerce, and tourism between India and Kazakhstan. We coordinate with the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Delhi and keep them posted about the economic, political, cultural, and social development of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in India.

Could you elaborate on the key responsibilities and functions associated with your role as the Consul?

The key responsibilities and functions associated with my role include enhancing bilateral relations between India and Kazakhstan, as well as supporting the development of international relations, representing, and protecting the interests of Kazakhstan, aiding and consular protection to Kazakh citizens and institutions in India, mainly in Telangana and AP.

What are the main areas of cooperation and collaboration between Kazakhstan and India?

The relations between India and Kazakhstan are ancient and historical, going back more than 2,000 years. India was one of the first countries to recognize the independence of Kazakhstan in February 1992. In the area of trade, India sources nearly 80 per cent of its uranium requirement from Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan is India’s largest trade and investment partner in Central Asia, with the trade turnover between the two countries growing to $2.38 billion last year from about $1.2 billion in 2018. Major exports to India include textiles and clothing, wood, plastics or rubber, vegetables, hides and skins, machinery and electrical, metals, chemicals, stone, and glass.

Electrical & electronic equipment, pharmaceutical products, machinery, nuclear reactors, boilers, sugars and sugar confectionery, organic chemicals, coffee, tea and spices, medical apparatus, and vehicles other than railway and tramway are some of the key imports of Kazakhstan from India.

More recently, we have seen new elements being added to our bilateral relationship through the popularity of Indian films, culture, dance, and music in Kazakhstan. It would not be an exaggeration to say that India and Kazakhstan have felt a natural affinity and bond with each other for the past several millennia.

What are the current trends in economic and trade partnerships between Kazakhstan and India? Are there any significant sectors where cooperation has been particularly successful?

The current political, strategic, and economic scenarios, both regionally and internationally, present immense potential for India and Kazakhstan to enhance their engagement, qualitatively and quantitatively. India-Kazakhstan is elevating strategic partnership to the next level.

Several Indian nationals and Indian companies have a significant presence in Kazakhstan. Arcelor-Mittal Temirtau is a major investment by a non-resident Indian (NRI). Well-known companies like Punj Lloyd Kazakhstan, KEC International and TCS have been active in this market in the area of construction of oil and gas pipelines, electric transmission lines and IT.

Close cultural relations between the two countries are also growing, which can be seen in the growing popularity of yoga, Indian films, dance, and music in Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan’s inbound tourist flow doubled in January-March 2023.

How do you facilitate business and trade interactions between companies in both countries?

A lot of effort goes into promoting trade and commerce between any two countries. On September 28, 2022, Astana Hub inked a pact with T-Hub during Digital Bridge 2022 in Astana, Kazakhstan. The MoU was signed by Magzhan Madiyev, CEO of Astana Hub, and Srinivas Rao Mahankali (MSR), CEO of T-Hub, Hyderabad, in my presence.

The signing of the MoU was the initiative of the Consulate of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Hyderabad for Telangana and AP. Bagdat Mussin, Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry, Republic of Kazakhstan has invited me and MSR for a plenary session chaired by Kassym-Jomart-Tokayev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Astana Hub is the largest international technology park for IT startups in Central Asia. Conditions for the free development of domestic and foreign technology companies are created here.

In December 2022, we arranged a high-level delegation of the Adani Group to visit Kazakhstan. During the meeting, the sides reviewed prospects for implementing long-term and strategically important investment projects. Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani, during the meeting with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana, expressed his interest in expanding cooperation with Kazakhstan in energy, petrochemistry, and renewable energy. President Tokayev welcomed the plans of the Adani Group to develop transport infrastructure in the region.

The President noted that Kazakhstan has to make efforts to diversify transport routes and develop the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR). Adani’s visit programme to Astana included meetings with the Kazakh Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov and heads of State bodies to address bilateral cooperation in logistics, energy, and petrochemistry, among other sectors.

Kazakhstan has been increasingly attracting tourists from India. What initiatives have been taken to promote tourism and encourage travel between the two countries?

Several initiatives have been taken up to encourage tourism between the two nations. A landmark decision was taken by the Decree 464 of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated July 7, 2022, wherein the Kazakh authorities introduced a visa-free entry regime for citizens of the Republic of India, allowing a continuous visa-free stay in Kazakhstan for up to 14 days. The Decree further clarified that the maximum duration of the visitor’s visa-free stay is 42 days within every 180 days.

What are the main challenges or obstacles that both countries face in further enhancing their bilateral relations? How are these challenges being addressed?

The countries like China, the USA, and Turkey have a stronghold in the trade and commerce of Kazakhstan. India is slowly and steadily increasing its foothold, and with continued dialogues and visits between the two nations' leaders, the bilateral relations have improved multiple folds.

What are your aspirations for the future of Kazakhstan-India relations? Are there any specific areas you would like to see strengthened or expanded?

As mentioned earlier, there is a clear dominance of the USA in the oil and gas sector in Kazakhstan's economy, and in infrastructure, China takes the lead. We would like to change that and increase India's stake in the segments of pharmaceuticals, education, airport operations, port management, electric power generation and transmission, mining, natural gas, renewable energy, food processing, and infrastructure.

How do you see the role of World Trade Center (WTC) Shamshabad in fostering collaborations and improving bilateral trade in this economic region?

WTC Shamshabad plays a strategic role in connecting Telangana State with more than 300 World Trade Centers from more than 100 countries. It is a gateway for international trade, promoting services and trade and changing the economic structure of the State towards a more balanced direction. The bilateral meetings can be hosted at WTC Shamshabad between India and Kazakhstan to promote trade and commerce between the two nations. WTC Shamshabad will definitely facilitate and grow trade opportunities in the region. Kazakhstan is the biggest supplier of uranium to India. In the last ten years, we supplied 9,000 tonnes of uranium and the new contract is under consideration, probably before the President’s visit, we will have this contract signed.

Alimbayev opened the Hall of Kazakh Literature at Nizam Club India, one of the oldest clubs founded in 1884. Books and printed publications about Kazakhstan, culture and history of the country in English and Hindi are displayed in the hall. The opening of this Consulate in Hyderabad will lead to significant contributions to deepen our relationship not just in economy and trade, but cultural relations too.