NEW DELHI: Weeks after Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi concluded a five-day visit to India, the Taliban regime’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, Alhaj Nooruddin Azizi, arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday for a five-day trip aimed at boosting trade and investment ties.
Azizi’s visit comes as Pakistan keeps key land border crossings with Afghanistan shut following recent clashes, inflicting heavy losses on Afghan exporters particularly fruit traders. The closures have prompted Kabul to urge its business community to diversify markets away from Pakistan.
“Advancing bilateral trade and investment ties is the key focus of the visit,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X, welcoming Azizi to New Delhi.
On Wednesday, the minister led a high-level Afghan delegation to the India International Trade Fair (IITF) 2025. This was the first visit by an Afghan minister to the ITPO since 2021. He was received by ITPO Managing Director Neeraj Kharwal, who briefed him on the fair’s facilities and on opportunities for deeper Afghan participation in future exhibitions.
Azizi toured multiple pavilions, including Afghan stalls showcasing local products, and later met Afghan traders based in India to discuss market access and expansion opportunities. The visit comes amid heightened Afghanistan–Pakistan tensions and Kabul’s renewed push to strengthen economic links with India.
India’s key exports to Afghanistan include pharmaceuticals, textiles, machinery, and food staples such as sugar, tea, and rice; Afghan exports to India largely consist of agricultural goods and minerals. India upgraded its mission in Kabul to full embassy status in October 2025, signalling a calibrated diplomatic re-engagement. Afghanistan is courting Indian investment in mining and hydroelectric projects while exploring alternative connectivity routes that bypass Pakistan.