Highlights:
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India Restores Embassy in Afghanistan Without Recognizing Taliban
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Engagement Without Recognition: India’s New Approach to Afghanistan
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India-Afghanistan Relations Shift as Embassy Reopens in Kabul
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Diplomatic Ties Deepen: India Reopens Embassy in Afghanistan
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India Maintains Cautious Engagement With Afghanistan’s Taliban Government
India has announced plans to reopen its embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, which had been functioning as a “technical mission” since June 2022 to manage humanitarian aid. This move signals India’s intention to engage with Afghanistan pragmatically while avoiding formal recognition of the Taliban-led government.
Afghanistan-Taliban Engagement Marks Highest-Level Visit Since 2021
Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi arrived in New Delhi this week, marking the highest-level visit by a Taliban official to India since the group assumed control in 2021. His eight-day visit demonstrates a shift in India-Afghanistan relations, emphasizing engagement without conferring legitimacy on the Taliban.
During this visit, India confirmed that it would re-establish its embassy in Kabul. The embassy had operated in a limited capacity as a technical mission, primarily coordinating humanitarian assistance. Despite reopening full diplomatic operations, New Delhi continues to withhold formal recognition of Afghanistan’s Taliban administration.
India’s Approach to Afghanistan: Engagement Without Recognition
India’s decision to reopen its embassy reflects a broader diplomatic strategy applied in other contexts, including Taiwan and Myanmar. In this framework, engagement focuses on practical cooperation and functionality rather than political recognition.
Opening an embassy allows India to continue providing humanitarian aid, collaborate on infrastructure projects, and maintain discussions on security, particularly counterterrorism. Recognition, in contrast, would imply political endorsement of Afghanistan’s Taliban government—a step India is deliberately avoiding.
Afghanistan Embassy in New Delhi Evolves
India’s approach has also reshaped the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi. Once representing the ousted Afghan Republic, the embassy now operates under diplomats who, while not officially appointed by the Taliban, cooperate with Kabul. As Foreign Minister Muttaqi stated, “Even those from the former government now work with us.” This arrangement demonstrates India’s reliance on functional diplomacy to navigate complex political realities in Afghanistan.
Global Context and Regional Shifts on Afghanistan
India’s stance contrasts with the divided international response to Afghanistan’s Taliban administration. The United Nations continues to deny the Taliban Afghanistan’s official UN seat due to concerns over women’s rights and counterterrorism. Russia formally recognized the Taliban in July 2025, while China, the UAE, and Uzbekistan have accepted Taliban-appointed ambassadors. Western countries, including the United States, have resisted recognition.
Given the Taliban’s control over almost all Afghan territory and the absence of viable opposition, regional players—including India—have adopted flexible engagement strategies. India’s policy prioritizes stability and practical cooperation with Afghanistan over ideological concerns.
India’s Shifting Relationship With the Taliban in Afghanistan
India’s current approach differs sharply from its position in the 1990s, when it supported the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance. Three key factors explain the shift:
- Taliban Outreach to India – The Taliban has assured India that Afghan soil will not be used for attacks against Indian territory. Muttaqi condemned the Pahalgam terror attack earlier this year, a move praised by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
- Pakistan-Afghanistan Dynamics – Strained relations between the Taliban and Pakistan, including clashes along the Durand Line and Kabul’s refusal to suppress the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), have created diplomatic space for India in Afghanistan.
- Economic Urgency in Afghanistan – With US aid reduced, Afghanistan seeks regional investment. The Taliban has invited Indian firms to invest in mining and reaffirmed support for projects such as the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline and the Chabahar Port route through Iran.
Balancing Engagement With Strategic Caution in Afghanistan
India’s reopening of its embassy demonstrates a careful balance between deepening ties and maintaining strategic caution. Humanitarian aid, private sector engagement, and diplomatic collaboration signal confidence in Afghanistan’s Taliban-led administration without granting legitimacy.
For India, Afghanistan represents both an opportunity and a strategic test. The Taliban’s internal stability, Pakistan’s regional posture, and potential renewed US involvement could all influence the trajectory of India-Afghanistan engagement. India’s approach—pragmatic, adaptive, and regionally sensitive—illustrates a new model of diplomacy in a volatile South Asian neighborhood.
