India is undertaking a cautious but significant shift in its approach to Afghanistan under Taliban rule. While New Delhi has not formally recognized the Taliban government, it is widening engagement in diplomacy, development and security—marking a major recalibration of its Afghanistan policy.
Historically, India opposed the Taliban, backing the Northern Alliance in the late 1990s and early 2000s. After the Taliban takeover in 2021, India closed its embassy in Kabul and pulled back most diplomatic ties. However, over recent years India has maintained a “technical mission” and provided humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.
The change now comes amid evolving regional dynamics. India’s strategic priorities include counter-terrorism (especially preventing Afghan soil from being used by groups hostile to India), reviving connectivity to Central Asia (via routes through Iran and Afghanistan), and checking influence of both Pakistan and China in Afghanistan and the wider region.
In practical terms, India has restarted high-level contact: discussions with Taliban leaders have covered trade, development projects, mineral exploration, and connectivity via the Iranian port of Chabahar. India has also reaffirmed that it remains committed to Afghanistan’s sovereignty and wants to assist in its development.
Yet despite the greater engagement, India is keeping several red-lines. It continues to withhold full diplomatic recognition of the Taliban government, given concerns around human rights, women’s education and governance. The balance India appears to be striking is engagement without endorsement—remaining pragmatic while preserving flexibility and moral levers.
For Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership, closer ties with India help break diplomatic isolation and open access to investment, infrastructure work and regional legitimacy. For India, as one analyst put it, “the alternative to engaging is losing influence, while the risks go up if Afghanistan becomes a conduit for anti-India militancy or increased Chinese-Pakistani access.”
Experts say the relationship is entering a “new phase”—one built on pragmatism, strategic interest and cautious optimism rather than ideological alignment. Whether this recalibrated approach brings durable influence for India in Afghanistan, and whether the Taliban deliver on their assurances (such as preventing their territory from being used against India) will be the test in the coming months.