Author: Harsha

Inaugural Address by Ambassador at Conference on Medical Tourism in India

Hotel Hyatt Regency, Tashkent; December 12, 2025

Distinguished Guests,

For any health care system to be efficient and responsive, it must be affordable, accessible and it must be transparent. In a world where healthcare is not accessible to all, this must essentially be seen as service to humanity and not just a corporate venture.

It means that a good health care system should not just be able to detect, assess and respond, it should do so in minimal time, at an affordable cost and must do so with a compassionate and beneficence approach.

Yesterday, I had discussions with some of my hospitals which are present here today and what struck me was all of them have been involved in providing health care services on pro bono basis in Uzbekistan.

I was, therefore, very  pleased when I was informed that they had been actively involved in conducting free OPD camps focusing on cardiology oncology neurology, sending super specialists from India to hospitals here, organizing conferences in oncology  including the one in held in May last year which was attended by 550 doctors, conducting proton therapy treatments, undertaking liver transplants at the National Medical Centre in Tashkent and training Uzbek doctors every year on orthopaedic surgeries, liver transplant, onco-surgery, radiation oncology.

These are significant milestones and reflective of the spirit which guides Indian healthcare system and also Indian doctors are known for their expertise and life-saving skills worldwide.

Back home, India currently has strength of 1.4 million doctors supported by trained, efficient and skilled nurses and paramedics.

Several hospitals in India are JCI / NABH-accredited, ensuring global standards. The range of medical services be it cardiac surgery, joint replacement, organ transplants, fertility treatments, oncology, and wellness therapies are something that experts will speak on and let us also not forget India’s expertise in wellness therapies, Ayurveda, Yoga and naturopathy.

I think what really stands out in all this is the point I made earlier – the affordability factor. The costs at which services are offered can be seen and compared with other countries.

People’s lives are to be handled with a compassionate approach. Every life matters. I would request my hospitals to contribute even more in the area of capacity building.

Going forward, we will continue to organise more camps with the help of our super specialists focusing on the imminent needs of Uzbekistan. We will continue to hold hands and ensure that not just medical care but quality attention is also given by our hospitals. From Embassy, I can assure that visas will never be a constraint and we will facilitate quick travel of our Uzbek friends to India.

More importantly, let’s not forget that India-Uzbekistan relation is underpinned by strong people-to-people ties. The links between our peoples are a vital component of our strategic partnership and I am glad that our hospitals and our illustrious doctors on both sides appreciate the special ties we have with the people of Uzbekistan.

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Speech by Ambassador at Military University of Security and Defence  Tashkent  October 8, 2025

Maj General Farkhodjon Shermatov, First Deputy Head of University of Military Security and Defence, distinguished officials from the Ministry of Defence, faculty members, dear friends, Good afternoon.

It is indeed a great privilege to be here today at the Military Security and Defence University on the occasion of the formal handing over of three software solutions developed by the Indian Army Training Team in collaboration with this prestigious institution.

Today’s event is not merely a technical milestone; it is a celebration of partnership, innovation, and shared progress between India and Uzbekistan. Our cooperation with your esteemed institution has been robust and enduring. The deployment of the first Training Team in 2021, the establishment of the state-of-the-art IT & Cyber-Security Lab in April 2024 and subsequent deployment of the second Military Training team in August last year highlight our intent to build capacities, not just in terms of technology and equipment, but more importantly focusing on ‘human resource’. We are happy that exchanges between two sides have been steady and continued imparting momentum to our partnership. We are expecting a visit by faculty and students of the Army War College, led by Commandant of the College, Lt Gen HS Sahi in November I will be proposing the signing of an MoU between your University and the Army War College as this would further expand institutional connect and present opportunities to both sides to benefit.

Technology will transform the way we defend our nations. The future battlefield will be defined by speed, precision and intelligence. AI will be key in providing situational awareness. It is heartening that Uzbekistan Ministry of Defence has undertaken steps towards digitisation of the military education and the recent institutionalisation of this University as an umbrella organisation encompassing five military institutes is in sync with this larger mission.

I also take this opportunity to commend the dedicated members of the Indian Army Training Team as well as the faculty of the University for their commitment, creativity, and professionalism as evident by the success of this project and I am sanguine that these software projects will not only enhance the capacities and technological edge of the students of this esteemed institution, but will also be of value in University’s broader aim of being a leading institution in technology and innovation in the area of military education.

Dear friends, defence cooperation is a major component of the bilateral cooperation between India and Uzbekistan. Our nations have major stakes in regional security. Just few days back, the Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism met and we agreed to further strengthen our cooperation in counter terrorism and radicalization.

I look forward to the continued and renewed cooperation between our two nations in the years to come and once again congratulate the University of Military Security and Defence and the Indian Army Training Team for their continued efforts towards strengthening bilateral cooperation.

Thank you.

Speech by the Ambassador at the 70th anniversary celebrations of the Tashkent University of Information Technologies

Tashkent; September 24, 2025

Hon’ble Minister of Digital Technologies Mr. Sherzod Shermatov, Rector, Tashkent University of Information Technologies (TUIT), Prof. Bakhtiyor Makhkamov, faculty members and students of TUIT, distinguished guests, scholars, ladies and gentlemen,

Assalamu alaykum. Namaste.

It is an honour and privilege for me to join you on this very occasion-the 70th anniversary of the Tashkent University of Information Technology, an institution that stands as a beacon of learning and innovation in Uz-bekistan and the wider Central Asian region.

Seventy years is not merely a milestone in numbers. It represents dec-ades of dedication, scholarship, and the nurturing of generations of stu-dents who today form the backbone of Yangi Uzbekistan’s progress in science, technology and digital economy. Over the years, TUIT has been able to keep pace with the rapid global transformation in the field of in-formation technology.

India deeply values its partnership with Uzbekistan particularly in educa-tion and digital technology. Both our countries share a common vision of harnessing technology for inclusive growth. India’s experiences from its own journey – from building its IT industry in the 1990s to becoming a global hub for software, digital services, and innovation today – offers in-sights and opportunities for collaboration with friends and partners like Uzbekistan. In 2009, in this very university, the ‘India-Uzbek Centre for Information Technologies’ got established, a testimony to India’s long-standing friendly ties with Uzbekistan.

As some of you are aware, India will be hosting the AI Impact Summit in on February 18, 2026. In this era of rapidly evolving AI, collective or col-laborative frameworks are needed. Without cooperation, there’s risk of biases, disinformation and misuse. Artificial Intelligence offers great po-tential for improving health, education, agriculture, etc especially to the countries of Global South. However, we need to focus capacity be it in computing power, talent, data or financial resources.

As Hon’ble Minister of Digital Technology is also present amongst us, I wish to inform him and others on research symposium on AI and its im-pact being held that will bring researchers, students, industry and poli-cymakers to explore frontiers of responsible and ethnical, accountable AI. We invite students, faculty and researchers of Uzbekistan to partici-pate.

Going forward, I would like to underline three areas where our coopera-tion can further deepen: –

Fintech, Startups and Innovation Ecosystems: The youthful energy of both our nations is our greatest resource. Connecting young entrepre-neurs from TUIT with India’s startup ecosystem can create a powerful bridge of innovation between South and Central Asia.

Innovation is the backbone of a nation. In this regard, I also wish to quote President Mirziyoyev “Innovation is the key to our future. We must create an environment where new ideas flourish, and young minds are empowered to drive progress in science, technology and the economy”.

On Startups, we propose to have a startup bridge between India and Uzbekistan constituted.

Dear students of TUIT, your talent and dedication in the field of IT are vi-tal in driving forward the President Mirziyoyev’s vision of making Uzbeki-stan a global hub of digital innovation and progress. I wish you the best and am sure that you will successfully transform the digital landscape in Uzbekistan.

I will end with a thought from India’s former President and scientist, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam: “Dreams transform into thoughts, and thoughts result into action.” May the dreams nurtured at TUIT continue to transform Uz-bekistan’s digital future, and may India and Uzbekistan walk together on this path of knowledge and innovation.

Hindiston va O’zbekiston do’stona aloqalari abadiy bo’lsin!

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