New Delhi | October 2025 In a historic and unexpected development, Afghanistan’s Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has arrived in India for an eight-day visit. This move marks the highest-level engagement between New Delhi and the Taliban since the group seized power in Kabul in 2021.
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Muttaqi’s trip is being viewed as a pivotal moment in South Asian geopolitics. The visit, which would have been unthinkable just a few years ago, reflects the evolving dynamics of India’s regional strategy and the Taliban’s growing interest in building international legitimacy beyond its traditional allies.
A New Chapter in India–Afghanistan Relations
Muttaqi, accompanied by senior officials from the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce, arrived in Delhi earlier this week after stops in Moscow and Tehran.
The delegation’s schedule includes meetings with India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, as well as key representatives from India’s business community. Discussions are focused on strengthening political engagement, enhancing trade opportunities, and exploring regional security cooperation.
The visit was made possible after the UN Security Council granted a temporary travel exemption to Muttaqi, who remains under international sanctions. His itinerary also includes cultural and religious visits to Agra’s Taj Mahal and the Darul Uloom Deoband seminary in Uttar Pradesh, both highly symbolic stops signalling a diplomatic and cultural outreach effort.
India’s Pragmatic Pivot
India has not formally recognised the Taliban administration. Yet, its policy in recent years has shifted from complete disengagement to pragmatic diplomacy. Following the Taliban takeover in 2021, India initially closed its embassy and suspended visa operations for Afghans. However, within a year, New Delhi re-established a “technical team” in Kabul to oversee humanitarian aid distribution.
Over time, India began issuing limited visas to Afghan officials and influential figures connected to the Taliban government. Gradual exchanges and behind-the-scenes diplomacy have paved the way for this landmark visit.
Key Objectives of the Visit
During the talks, both sides are expected to focus on several critical areas:
- Humanitarian Aid and Economic Cooperation: India has been one of Afghanistan’s largest humanitarian donors since 2021, sending food, medical aid, and relief materials. Discussions are expected to explore ways to expand trade in agricultural goods, pharmaceuticals, and construction materials.
- Security and Counterterrorism: India seeks assurances that Afghan soil will not be used by terror groups such as Islamic State–Khorasan Province (IS-KP) or anti-India militant outfits. The Taliban, in turn, wants recognition of its government’s sovereignty and cooperation on border stability.
- Trade and Connectivity: Talks include discussion on reviving regional connectivity projects linking Afghanistan to Chabahar Port in Iran, which would allow greater access to Indian and Central Asian markets.
- Visa and People-to-People Relations: A major issue remains the restriction of visas for Afghans, especially students and traders. Both sides are expected to work on easing the process and restoring travel links.
A Changing Regional Landscape
Muttaqi’s visit also highlights a major geopolitical shift. For decades, the Taliban’s closest ally was Pakistan. But tensions have deepened between Islamabad and Kabul over cross-border attacks by the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), which Pakistan accuses the Afghan Taliban of harbouring.
With that relationship deteriorating, the Taliban is looking to diversify its diplomatic partnerships. India, a major regional power with deep economic resources and international credibility, presents a valuable alternative.
For New Delhi, this engagement serves several strategic purposes:
- Reducing Pakistan’s influence in Kabul.
- Ensuring that Afghanistan does not become a base for anti-India militant groups.
- Strengthening India’s connectivity with Iran and Central Asia.
- Maintaining a balance of power amid China’s expanding regional footprint.
A Diplomatic Balancing Act
Despite deepening engagement, both sides remain cautious. India continues to express concern about the Taliban’s record on human rights, particularly women’s rights and freedom of expression.
At the same time, Delhi recognises that Afghanistan’s stability is vital for regional security. Indian officials are approaching this outreach as part of a “contact without recognition” policy, engaging diplomatically and economically without formally acknowledging the Taliban as the legitimate government.
Muttaqi’s visit is therefore not about recognition but about managing realities on the ground. As one Indian diplomat privately remarked, “You can’t ignore whoever is in power in Kabul if you want stability in the region.”
The Pakistan Factor
For Pakistan, which has historically served as the Taliban’s main patron, the visit represents a significant diplomatic setback. Relations between Islamabad and the Taliban government have soured over border disputes, trade tensions, and cross-border militancy.
Pakistan’s leaders have even described Afghanistan as an “enemy state” in recent months, a stark departure from the cooperation seen in previous decades. The Taliban, meanwhile, has criticised Pakistan for closing key border crossings and conducting air strikes inside Afghan territory.
Muttaqi’s warm reception in India sends a clear signal: the Taliban wants to demonstrate that it can engage globally and is not beholden to any single regional actor.
India’s Strategic Calculations
India’s interests in Afghanistan go beyond security. New Delhi invested more than $3 billion in development projects in Afghanistan before 2021, including roads, dams, schools, and the Afghan parliament building. Many of these projects remain crucial to the Afghan people’s daily lives.
Re-establishing an active presence in Afghanistan allows India to:
- Protect its long-term investments.
- Counter extremist networks that threaten regional peace.
- Enhance trade and connectivity with Central Asia.
- Maintain influence amid growing Chinese and Pakistani involvement.
Building a New Diplomatic Understanding
Observers say the visit represents a cautious reset in India-Taliban relations. For India, it’s about ensuring that engagement translates into stability. For the Taliban, it’s about legitimacy and survival in a region that remains sceptical of its governance.
Muttaqi’s meetings in Delhi are expected to result in the formation of joint working groups on trade, humanitarian aid, and security. There are also indications that India may soon allow the Taliban to formally appoint a diplomatic envoy to its mission in Delhi, a symbolic but significant step.
A Historic Turn
Just four years ago, India’s embassy in Kabul was closed, its consulates shuttered, and relations frozen. Today, with Muttaqi’s arrival in Delhi, both sides appear to be charting a new course built on pragmatism rather than ideology.
While recognition of the Taliban regime remains unlikely in the short term, this visit underscores a fundamental reality: the political map of South Asia is being redrawn, and India intends to play a decisive role in shaping Afghanistan’s future.
