KABUL (Dispatches) -- India and Taliban-ruled Afghanistan are rapidly strengthening diplomatic and economic relations, capitalizing on the dramatic deterioration in ties between Kabul and its former ally Islamabad.
The rapprochement marks a significant strategic shift for New Delhi, which historically viewed the Taliban with hostility due to the group’s ideology and close affiliation with Pakistan’s military establishment. 
India supported the Northern Alliance against the Taliban during the 1996-2001 Afghan Civil War and was a close partner of the Western-backed government that assumed power following the US invasion in 2001.
The turning point came on January 8, 2025, when Indian External Affairs Secretary Vikram Misri met Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Dubai, facilitated by the United Arab Emirates. That meeting marked the first high-level engagement between the two sides since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021.
In October 2025, Muttaqi made a historic six-day visit to New Delhi — the first by a senior Taliban minister to India. During the visit, India announced it would upgrade its technical mission in Kabul to the status of a full embassy. The UN Security Council temporarily lifted Muttaqi’s travel ban to facilitate the visit.
Since then, four Taliban ministers have visited India. In November 2025, Industry and Commerce Minister Nooruddin Azizi led a trade delegation to New Delhi, where both sides announced the reactivation of the Kabul-Delhi and Kabul-Amritsar air freight corridors. Trade between the two countries has surpassed $1.5 billion.
The thaw in India-Taliban relations coincides with a sharp downturn in Afghanistan-Pakistan ties. Pakistan historically viewed Afghanistan as a source of “strategic depth” in its rivalry with India, but this policy has backfired since the Taliban’s return to power.
The core issue is the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Islamabad says uses Afghan soil to launch attacks inside Pakistan — an accusation Kabul denies. Since October 2025, border clashes between the two countries have escalated significantly, with Pakistan conducting airstrikes inside Afghanistan.
For India, engagement with the Taliban serves multiple objectives. New Delhi wants to prevent Afghanistan from re-emerging as a hub for militancy threatening Indian security. The Taliban have assured India they “will not allow any group to use our territory against others”.
India also seeks to strengthen regional connectivity, viewing Afghanistan as a potential bridge to Central Asia. The resumption of air freight corridors and India’s investment in Iran’s Chabahar port offer alternative trade routes that bypass Pakistan.
The Taliban, for its part, seek to break diplomatic isolation and secure economic assistance as Western donor support has declined. The growing engagement with India signals the group’s effort to diversify partnerships beyond Pakistan.
Despite the warming ties, India has not formally recognized the Taliban government. The ideological divide remains significant.