Uzbekistan bets big on India with aviation, infrastructure & trade push
Following Chennai and Hyderabad roadshows, Uzbekistan concluded the New Delhi roadshow to strengthen the trade relations and position the country as a preferred tourist destination.
As part of its long-term growth strategy, Uzbekistan is intensifying its focus on India. To boost the outreach in India, the Tourism Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan, in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in India, hosted a trade roadshow at the Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi, on May 13, 2026. The event capped a series of successful roadshows previously held in Chennai and Hyderabad.
“In 2025, the country welcomed over 12 million international tourists. And that figure 6-7 years back was only less than 1 million tourists, almost a 10-plus fold increase in a very short period of time,” said Sardor Mirzayusupovich Rustambaev, Ambassador of Uzbekistan to India. He added that for the country, tourism is a key driver for economic growth and an important tool for cultural exchange, and the country is aggressively pursuing its ‘Tourism 2040’ strategy, focusing on sustainable development, eco-friendly travel, and infrastructure expansion.
The roadshow is a part of the destination’s ongoing effort to foster trade engagement between India and Uzbekistan and position the country as a preferred tourism destination for Indian travellers. It highlighted the key tourism offerings, including booming heritage tourism, landmark infrastructure, growing tourism and stable economy.
Strengthening destination capacity
Rustambaev also highlighted the hospitality growth of Uzbekistan, shared that the country has added more than 60 new hotels, 20,000 beds, about 300 guest houses, more than 150 hotels and 30 plus other accommodation facilities. These establishments bring the total capacity to over 200,000 beds across 7,000 facilities, supported by global investments from brands like Hilton, Intercontinental, Wyndham, Azimut, and JW Marriott.
Alongside, he also highlighted the establishment of 386 new tourism companies, travel agencies, and DMCs, that has expanded the country’s total number of tour operators to over 4,000. Furthermore, there are now 3,500 active tour guides and several tour guide companies operating throughout the republic to support tourism.
Steering aviation growth
Supporting the destination’s vision for India, Uzbekistan Airways and Centrum Air are actively looking at expanding connectivity and aviation capacity between the two markets.
On the capacity front, Uzbekistan Airways, the national carrier, recently implemented a codeshare and prorate agreement with Air India, enhancing connectivity between India and the destination.
Abdulaziz Khamraev, Deputy Station Manager, Uzbekistan Airways JSC, highlighted the airline’s focus on network expansion. Talking to T3, he pointed out, “India for us is a very important destination. We are planning to unlock a new destination and are working on it.” Additionally, Anish Arya, Representative of Uzbekistan Airways JSC India, Representative, Aero World Travels & ARYA ENTERPRISES, Passenger Sales, Uzbekistan Airways JSC India, during the event, announced plans to induct 26 new Boeing Dreamliners into the airline’s fleet.
For the premium and MICE segments, Uzbekistan Airways showcased multi-engine charter helicopters capable of transferring groups of 12 or more directly from Tashkent airport to popular mountain and ski resorts.
Meanwhile, Centrum Air has launched its Tashkent-Delhi route in October 2025. Initially operating two frequencies, the carrier has recently added a third weekly flight for the summer schedule. The airline is now actively evaluating expansion into India’s Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets.
Sarfraj Ahmed, Head of Sales and Regulations at Centrum Air, told T3 that the airline is currently exploring opportunities in South India and the North-east markets, with timelines depending on aircraft deliveries. The airline is aiming to increase the fleet by 21 aircraft by the year-end and expand the fleet by 100 aircraft by 2030.
Roadblocks in the growth story
Highlighting the destination’s challenges in the Indian market, Ambassador Rustambaev expressed that the country’s visa policy allows citizens of over 90 countries to enter the country visa-free, but India is not yet on that list. He stated, “We are working hard to add India to Uzbekistan’s visa-free entry list.” However, Indian passport holders can access an e-visa at an approximate cost of USD 20 for a single entry, which gets processed within 24-48 hours.
In addition, during the interactive session, travel operators raised concerns around flight bookings. They pointed out that lower-cost flight inventory is often purchased months in advance by Indian students studying in the CIS region, leaving higher-priced seats for leisure travellers. In response to the questions raised, airlines’ representatives advised DMCs and travel agents to forecast packages and block group fares well in advance of the seasonal rush to secure competitive rates.
