Ayushi Saini

Ayushi Saini is a Research Consultant at Chintan Research Foundation, specializing on Central Asia. She researches India-Central Asia relations, regional connectivity, and regional frameworks like the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). She is a PhD candidate at Jawaharlal Nehru University, with research focused on China’s Belt and Road Initiative and its environmental and human security impacts in Kazakhstan. She is a Visiting Fellow at MGIMO University, Moscow, as well as a Visiting Researcher at Ohio State University. Her publications span topics such as Social Capital in Central Asia, India-Kazakhstan Rare Earth cooperation, and India-Uzbekistan medical diplomacy. She is also a peer reviewer for the Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs.