A landmark visit by the Taliban’s foreign minister to India has just taken place—something that was once thought impossible. Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Afghan Taliban’s Foreign Minister, arrived in India for a week-long series of discussions, marking the highest-level encounter between the Taliban and India since the group took control in 2021. Over eight days, Muttaqi is set to engage with Indian officials about strengthening diplomatic, trade, and economic connections.
But here’s where it gets controversial: India announced after a meeting between Muttaqi and Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar that it will reopen its embassy in Kabul. This embassy had been closed four years ago when the Taliban regained power. This bold move signals a significant shift in India's approach to Afghanistan and is drawing close attention from Pakistan, a historic Taliban ally and India's regional rival.
Muttaqi’s journey to Delhi, arriving from Russia—the only nation to formally recognize the Taliban government so far—was made possible by a temporary exemption from UN sanctions. What’s truly astonishing is how quickly the relationship dynamics have shifted. No one expected that after the Taliban seized control, their ties with Pakistan would sour so dramatically, while India would establish a pragmatic and multilateral rapport with the new Afghan rulers.
Previously, India had backed the Western-funded Afghan government ousted by the Taliban, yet this visit underlines a practical attitude on both sides. It highlights a commitment to build diplomatic, political, and economic partnerships despite past oppositions. Accompanied by trade and foreign ministry officials, Muttaqi met with Jaishankar in Delhi, where the Indian minister emphasized the importance of cooperation in supporting both Afghanistan’s national development and regional stability. Mutaki described India as a "close friend," underscoring that his visit aims to enhance bilateral relations. The Afghan delegation is also slated to engage with Indian business leaders to explore mutual economic opportunities.
India has not officially recognized the Taliban regime but maintains some level of diplomatic engagement alongside other nations. India continues to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, one of the most impoverished countries globally, and operates a small diplomatic mission in Kabul. This increasing interaction between India's right-wing Hindu nationalist government and the Islamist Taliban began soon after the latter’s return to power.
The timing of this visit is significant, occurring amid deteriorating relations both between India and Pakistan, and between Pakistan and the Taliban government. Analysts from the Observer Research Foundation noted that the breakdown in Pakistan-Taliban relations allows the Taliban to start building a distinct identity, less reliant on Islamabad. It also offers the Taliban domestic political benefit, helping them bolster perceived legitimacy within Afghanistan.
Strategic experts like Brahma Chellaney view the visit as a setback for Pakistan and a step toward the Taliban’s de facto recognition on the international stage. He describes the moment as a ‘‘cautious reset’’ in India-Taliban relations, where both parties prioritize pragmatic collaboration to advance their interests. This may well signal a notable shift in Afghanistan’s regional power balance.
This was unimaginable just over four years ago. When US-led forces announced a timeline to withdraw by mid-2021, Indian policymakers were alarmed. As the Taliban took Kabul in August 2021, India abruptly closed its embassy and consulates and halted issuing visas to Afghans, including students, patients, traders, and former officials, citing security concerns. The visa cancellations affected thousands previously approved. Yet within a year, India cautiously resumed its diplomatic role, sending a technical team in mid-2022 to oversee aid distribution.
Delhi quietly began granting visas to influential Taliban figures and government personnel, building informal trust. Most notably, last November, the Taliban were permitted to establish an envoy office in Delhi and open consulates—first in Mumbai, then Hyderabad. Over the past three years, contacts deepened with several high-level meetings abroad, underlining a gradual thaw in relations.
The underlying reality remains a fierce strategic competition between India and Pakistan in Afghanistan. Since the Taliban’s founding in 1994, India has viewed the group as a proxy for Pakistani interests, seeking to displace India’s influence. India, alongside Russia and Iran, supported anti-Taliban factions until the US invasion in 2001 removed the Taliban from power. For two decades, India backed the US-backed Afghan government against a bloody insurgency spearheaded by the Taliban.
While Pakistan enjoyed close ties with the Taliban during their initial and early second rule, relations have soured significantly. Pakistani officials have increasingly labeled Afghanistan "an enemy country," accusing the Taliban government of harboring the Pakistani Taliban to conduct attacks in Pakistan. Pakistan even launched airstrikes within Afghan territory, which the Taliban reject, pointing fingers back at Pakistan for trying to destabilize Afghanistan.
India’s motivation for warming ties with the Taliban boils down to national security priorities. Its main concern is to prevent groups like Islamic State, al-Qaeda, and other India-focused militants from using Afghan territory as a base to threaten Indian soil. The Taliban have assured India that Afghan land will not be a launchpad for such attacks—a pledge reiterated by Muttaqi during his visit.
Moreover, fostering relations with the Taliban aligns with India’s broader strategic goal of expanding connectivity through Iran and Central Asia, countering the growing influence of China and Pakistan in the region.
Still, despite increasing cooperation, both sides remain cautious. Suspicion lingers over historical grievances, domestic political sensitivities, and concern over international repercussions. This evolving relationship is tactical, underscored by mutual interest but shadowed by unresolved questions.
So, does this pragmatic pivot by India indicate a new era of cooperation, or will underlying tensions and strategic rivalries continue to obstruct deeper ties? Could India’s opening to the Taliban ultimately reshape Afghanistan’s regional landscape? What do you think—are these developments a hopeful sign for stability or an uneasy alliance born out of necessity? Share your thoughts below!
