Afghanistan is slowly rebuilding its ties with India.
The historical bond between India and Afghanistan, established through cultural exchanges and commercial activities and people-to-people connections, is now leading to a new era of bilateral relations. The Taliban administration has decided to establish economic ties with India through air transportation and sea-based trade and investment partnerships because Pakistan has blocked land access and issued political threats to Kabul. Recently, the Taliban administration sent its largest business delegation to India since 2021, headed by Haji Nooruddin Azizi, acting Minister of Industry and Commerce, during his five-day official visit to India. The Taliban leaders have made a decisive change in their foreign policy approach.
The Taliban administration has declared its intention to stop doing business with Pakistan while actively seeking Indian businesses through tax incentives and investment opportunities. The Ministry of External Affairs of India has confirmed that the Kabul–Delhi and Kabul–Amritsar air cargo routes which had been dormant for years have been brought back into operation. The officials announced that cargo operations through these routes will start operation in the near future. The air cargo routes serve as a vital lifeline for Afghan exporters who ship fruits and nuts and saffron and agricultural products before Pakistan blocked these routes in previous years. The restoration of these routes will help stabilise supply networks and minimize the negative effects from Pakistan's repeated border crossing shutdowns.
India and Afghanistan have also established dedicated trade attaches at their embassies to create better coordination and solve business problems between their countries. The Joint Working Group on Trade Commerce and Investment will resume its operations to establish a formal framework for economic cooperation. The two countries face two operational choices because Pakistan controls Gilgit-Baltistan which blocks their land trade route and blocks their transit trade. The strategic location of Iran's Chabahar port makes it important in such a situation. The port of Chabahar enables Pakistan-free transportation of large shipments and emergency aid and sustainable commercial operations. India previously used Chabahar to deliver wheat and medical supplies to Afghanistan and now both nations want to establish this location as their main logistics centre.
The Taliban leadership faces a direct threat from Pakistan because Islamabad has declared it will back alternative political forces if they fail to meet security requirements which include fighting against Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The message reportedly reached the Taliban leadership through Turkey which indicates a complete transformation in their policy direction. During his India visit, Minister Azizi encouraged Indian businesses to explore investment opportunities in Afghanistan's extensive mineral resources, particularly rare earth elements (REEs) which have rising importance for semiconductor production and electric vehicle manufacturing and advanced manufacturing. The vast mineral reserves in Afghanistan are worth billions of dollars, and have drawn interest from investors across various countries.
The Afghan government seeks Indian economic support through mining investments and infrastructure development and manufacturing sector growth. The Taliban administration seeks to get more Indian supplies of essential goods including medicines and machinery and textiles and sugar and tea and rice. The trade halt imposed by Pakistan has caused Afghanistan to lose $200 million each month which creates an unsustainable financial burden for their struggling economy. The Indian government has reopened its embassy in Kabul while continuing to support specific development initiatives in the country. The current trade value between India and Afghanistan exceeds $1 billion while officials predict that the relationship will expand when air and sea transportation systems become more stable.
New Delhi supports closer ties with Kabul because this relationship serves both strategic and practical interests. A secure Afghanistan creates security advantages while enabling India to link up with its neighbours and access valuable mineral resources. The current period between Pakistan and the Taliban government represents one of their most challenging times. The Taliban government shows willingness to expand its international relations by choosing New Delhi as its main strategic partner because Islamabad uses forceful methods to reshape its foreign policy.
