B y any measure, India’s quiet winding up from the Ayni airbase in Tajikistan marks the end of an important, if understated, chapter in its post–Cold War foreign policy and Central Asia engagement. The base—known locally as the Gissar Military Aerodrome—was India’s first and only real overseas military facility, established in the early 2000s as part of a bold attempt to project power into Central Asia.

When I emphasise the word “real,” it’s to highlight the distinction between a true overseas military base and the kinds of facilities India typically operates. A classic example of an overseas base is the one that the United States maintains in Germany or Japan—commanded by American officers, governed under US laws, and enjoying a degree of extraterritorial control.

India’s arrange

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