By Manal El Warraky
As part of the program of the Tashkent International Investment Forum 2025, the session “Industry: Unlocking New Potential” discussed the prospects for the automotive industry, electrical engineering, and industrial machinery in Uzbekistan.
Participants in the session noted that only in Uzbekistan can one see representatives from the USA, Europe, and Asia constructively discussing what can be done in terms of business within the country and how all states, despite competition, can contribute meaningfully to development on a mutually beneficial basis.
Uzbekistan’s market is open, and we can are witnessing an influx of new participants from around the world. It is truly interesting to see what new players are doing. They are breaking familiar patterns: changing perceptions about time-to-market, about the role of software in vehicles. These companies offer high-quality and technologically advanced solutions at affordable prices, shared Giuseppe Collino, Managing Director and Partner of Boston Consulting Group.
Ivan Cao, Managing Director of BYD for Central Asia, shared that over the past three years, BYD has implemented its project in three stages: vehicle sales, preparation for local assembly, and the successful launch of full-scale production. In December 2024, during the official ceremony, a facility was opened in Jizzakh. To date, BYD has already produced over 10,000 electric vehicles in Uzbekistan. Ivan Cao noted that this not only meets the growing demand from local consumers but also contributes to the development of the production and distribution chain in the country.
I believe that BYD is making a significant contribution to the modernization of the automotive industry, and this aligns with the course of transformation chosen for the future of Uzbekistan’s automotive sector, added Ivan Cao.
Furthermore, the Managing Director of BYD shared that BYD is bringing modern technologies and new models to Uzbekistan. As of today, the company has already introduced seven electric vehicle models, and in 2025 plans to launch more new models. More than 1,500 high-skilled jobs have also been created. He noted that all these steps are aimed at making Uzbekistan an attractive growth point for the automotive industry and a “magnet” for international investment in the auto sector.
Participants exchanged views on the industrial potential of Uzbekistan, modern production technologies, favorable conditions created for foreign investors, and strategies aimed at developing new high-tech industries. The prospects for cooperation with leading automotive companies, the creation of new jobs, increasing export potential, and the formation of industrial clusters based on green technologies were also widely covered.
Oybek Burkhanov, General Manager of CNH Industrial in Uzbekistan, shared that the current situation in the market and supply chains has allowed them to rethink their strategy. In particular, for a number of products, for example, pharmaceuticals and goods produced by local companies, Uzbekistan has become competitive.
We are also talking about creating added value through the organization of production processes. We have more than 25 years of experience in this field. We are not just providing jobs but inspiring and creating conditions in which employees can not only produce but also create added value, he noted.
Chair of Global Neighbours Jovanka Porsche spoke about plans to undertake a train trip from China to Europe through Central Asia, a kind of research mission aimed at identifying investment opportunities, both for the Chinese side and for other participants.
What I think is really important is culture. Among all the talk about artificial intelligence, culture is often underestimated and underrepresented, especially such a rich one as here. Our train will become a kind of mobile World Economic Forum: we will hold conferences, gather scientists, politicians, businesspeople, but also artists. Events are planned along the entire route—the train will start in China and finish in Germany, added Jovanka Porsche.
During the session, important information was presented on the opportunities opening up new industrial directions in Uzbekistan, mechanisms for attracting investment, and institutional support measures provided by the state.
