India's decision to upgrade its Technical Mission in Kabul to a full-fledged embassy marks a significant recalibration of its Afghanistan policy. This shift is driven less by ideological alignment and more by strategic necessity. Without formally recognising the Taliban regime, New Delhi signals a willingness to engage, reshape regional influence, and protect core interests in a volatile neighbourhood. That’s the need of the geopolitical hour.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s meeting with Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in New Delhi wasn’t just for optics. It was a clear articulation of India’s intent to re-anchor its presence in Afghanistan, where its development footprint—roads, dams, schools, hospitals—has long stood in contrast to Pakistan’s coercive involvement.
This comes as Taliban–Pakistan ties grow increasingly hostile. Muttaqi’s unusually blunt warning to Islamabad to “stop playing games with Afghanistan” during the New Delhi presser reflects a hardening stance. Amid accusations of Pakistani airstrikes and border provocations, India finds itself in a rare position of advantage. Once on the sidelines after the Taliban’s 2021 return, Kabul is now courting India for investment, aid and engagement. New Delhi, cautious but rightly opportunistic, is stepping into the vacuum. From gifting ambulances and food aid to helping in earthquake reconstruction, the outreach is both humanitarian and strategic. India is also considering Afghan requests for water resource management and mining investments, sectors long eyed by China and Pakistan.
The Chabahar port—India’s alternative trade route bypassing Pakistan—now becomes even more relevant. With Afghan leaders seeking to deepen trade with India and bypass hostile corridors, New Delhi’s earlier investments in Iran’s port infrastructure gain fresh traction, enhancing connectivity, influence, and leverage. Security cooperation underpinned the talks. India acknowledged Kabul’s “sensitivity” to its terrorism concerns— a nod to the Taliban’s recent cooperation post-Pahalgam attack. However, the threat of cross-border terror remains real.
By reopening its embassy—a strategic move among regional powers—India isn’t endorsing the Taliban regime yet. It is reasserting its stake in Afghanistan’s future. In a region where the tables are quietly turning, this is pragmatic statecraft—rooted in realism and driven by national interest. India must be mindful of the opportunities and perils ahead.
Symbolic though small, the belated inclusion of women journalists at the Taliban minister’s press conference must not go unremarked—it reflects pressures that the world must keep up and India must quietly note.
