Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s week-long visit to New Delhi marks a watershed moment in South Asian diplomacy. The image of Muttaqi shaking hands with External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. Yet, here it is—a powerful symbol of India’s pragmatic foreign policy and the Taliban’s hunger for legitimacy beyond Pakistan and China. India has opened its embassy in Kabul which may prove turning point in strengthening the ties in future.

India has upgraded its technical mission in Kabul into a full-fledged embassy, signalling a deeper engagement with the Taliban regime that seized power in August 2021. However, New Delhi continues to withhold formal recognition of the Taliban government, maintaining a calibrated diplomatic stance. In a reciprocal move, the Taliban has begun operating its embassy in New Delhi, marking a cautious yet pragmatic step in normalising working relations between the two sides.

A Remarkable Diplomatic Turnaround

After decades of hostility—stretching back to India’s backing of the Northern Alliance in the 1990s and continued engagement with the U.S.-supported Afghan republic—New Delhi has now chosen cautious outreach over isolation. The reopening of the Indian Embassy in Kabul, permission for Taliban officials to operate consulates in Mumbai and Hyderabad, and a series of high-level interactions in Dubai, New Delhi, and beyond all signal that India is ready to engage, though not yet to recognise.

This re-engagement is driven by clear strategic compulsions. India seeks to protect its long-standing investments in Afghanistan, worth over $3 billion in development aid. Roads, schools, and hospitals built by Indian engineers remain popular among Afghans, giving New Delhi immense soft power leverage.

Mutual Interests: Legitimacy for the Taliban, Access for India

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