New Delhi, October 21, 2025 — India has officially restored the status of its diplomatic mission in Kabul to a full-fledged embassy, signaling a renewed phase of engagement with Afghanistan under the Taliban administration.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Tuesday that the move reflects New Delhi’s intent to strengthen cooperation with Afghanistan across areas of shared interest, including development, humanitarian aid, and capacity-building.
“In line with the understanding reached during the recent visit of the Afghan Foreign Minister to India, the government has decided to restore the technical mission in Kabul to the status of the Embassy of India in Afghanistan with immediate effect,” the MEA said in a statement.
India had shut down its Kabul embassy in 2021 following the Taliban’s takeover after the withdrawal of US-led NATO forces. A smaller “technical mission” was later established in 2022 to support limited operations related to trade, healthcare, and humanitarian assistance.
The latest step marks a notable shift in India’s Afghanistan policy. Although New Delhi still does not formally recognize the Taliban government, it has gradually reopened communication channels. Earlier this month, Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar hosted his Afghan counterpart, Amir Khan Muttaqi — the first official Taliban visit to India since the group’s return to power.
According to the MEA, the reopening aims to “further enhance India’s contribution to Afghanistan’s all-round development and humanitarian priorities, in accordance with the aspirations of the Afghan people.”
Currently, around a dozen countries — including China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan, and Türkiye — maintain embassies in Kabul. Of these, only Russia has formally recognized the Taliban-led administration.
India’s decision is being seen as a pragmatic step to re-engage with Afghanistan, focusing on stability, regional connectivity, and people-to-people ties, while continuing to monitor political developments in the war-torn country.
