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Neeta Lal
Neeta Lal

OpinionWhy India is quietly deepening its engagement with the Taliban

New Delhi’s courtship of Kabul is powered by realpolitik as the imperatives of security, strategy and connectivity converge

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Afghan refugees recently returned from Pakistan and Iran receive rations donated by the Indian government, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on May 18, 2025. Photo: EPA-EFE
Neeta Lal
As tensions simmer along the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier – fuelled by disputes over the contested Durand Line, recurring cross-border strikes and the persistent threat of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters operating from Afghan soil – a subtle but consequential geopolitical shift is under way. India is quietly but steadily stepping up its engagement with the Taliban.
The urgency of this recalibration was underscored on March 16, when Pakistani military forces carried out one of the deadliest strikes on civilians in Afghanistan, hitting a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul. In a swift humanitarian response, India dispatched a 2.5 tonne consignment of emergency medicines, medical supplies and equipment.

This is not an isolated gesture. In February, New Delhi raised its aid allocation to Afghanistan in the 2026-27 budget to 1.5 billion rupees (US$16 million) from 1 billion rupees – signalling a sustained commitment to developmental support for the war-ravaged country.

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For a nation that refused to recognise the Taliban in the 1990s during its first stint in power, this shift is not a volte-face but a pragmatic adjustment to new realities. India’s renewed footprint in Kabul – marked by the reopening of its diplomatic mission and a steady flow of aid – reflects a clear-eyed embrace of realpolitik. The Taliban, however contentious, are the de facto authority in Afghanistan. Ignoring them is no longer a viable option.

This shift is driven by three converging imperatives: security, strategy and connectivity. First, security. India’s primary concern has always been the possibility of Afghanistan again becoming a haven for anti-India terror groups. Engagement with the Taliban, however limited, offers New Delhi a channel to press its red lines directly.

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There is precedent: the Taliban has shown a degree of responsiveness to countries willing to engage without hostility. For India, long a target of cross-border terrorism, marginal influence is preferable to strategic absence.

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