Discuss India's contributions to shaping the SCO agenda since full membership in 2017, with reference to its 2020 CHG chairship and 2022–23 presidency.

India became a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) at the Astana Summit in June 2017 [1]. Since then it has gone from newcomer to agenda-setter. It has added development, innovation and culture to a forum that was mostly about security.

2020 CHG chairship: an economic and innovation track

• Hosted the 19th Council of Heads of Government (CHG) virtually on 30 Nov 2020, chaired by Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu. This was the first summit-level SCO meeting under India's chair, and a Joint Communiqué was adopted [1].
• Held Foreign Trade & Economy and Justice ministerial meetings, an SCO Business Conclave and the first Consortium of Economic Think-Tanks [1].
• Launched the first SCO Startup Forum and proposed a Special Working Group on Innovation & Startups. Also hosted a Young Scientists Conclave [1].

2022–23 presidency: the "SECURE" agenda

• Theme SECURE: Security, Economic development, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, Environmental protection. This put India's view that connectivity must respect sovereignty into the SCO's agenda [1].
• Held over 130 events, including 14 ministerial meetings [1].
• Added five new verticals: Startups & Innovation, Traditional Medicine, Science & Technology, Youth Empowerment, and Shared Buddhist Heritage [1].
• Soft power: Varanasi became the first SCO Cultural and Tourism Capital. India also translated 10 Indian regional classics into Russian and Chinese, and proposed an Expert Working Group on Traditional Medicine linked to SDG-3 [1].
• Expansion: Iran became a member at the 23rd Council of Heads of State, hosted by India on 4 July 2023 [1].
• Security: the Council of Heads of State adopted a statement on countering radicalisation under India's chairmanship [2].

Steady push on counter-terrorism

• At Qingdao (2025), the Raksha Mantri said every act of terrorism is criminal and unjustifiable and asked that its sponsors be held accountable [2].
• At Tianjin (2025), the PM asked members to hold backers of cross-border terrorism accountable and thanked them for their solidarity after Pahalgam [3].
• India has an institutional stake: a 5.9% budget share and posts in the Secretariat and in RATS, the SCO's anti-terror body in Tashkent [1].
• Limit: joint texts need every member's agreement. With Pakistan and China at the table [1], India's preferred wording on terrorism can be watered down.

India has made the SCO more than a security club by adding economic, technological and cultural work. Next, it should use RATS, its digital public infrastructure model and its startup ecosystem to turn these verticals into lasting institutions. That would keep the SCO's agenda SECURE and consistent with sovereign equality.