India to reopen full embassy in Kabul

India will reopen its embassy in Kabul, upgrading a reduced technical mission to a full diplomatic presence, External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar announced after talks with Afghanistan’s Taliban foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, who is visiting New Delhi. The move restores a permanent Indian diplomatic foothold in Afghanistan nearly four years after India evacuated its Kabul embassy following the Taliban’s 2021 takeover; New Delhi had maintained a limited mission since 2022 to coordinate aid, trade and medical support.

Jaishankar and Muttaqi said the enhanced engagement will focus on cooperation in trade, health, education and counterterrorism, with India signalling it intends to operate “by and large as before” while respecting Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Officials described the decision as pragmatic rather than constituting formal recognition of the Taliban government: India will deepen practical ties while stopping short of diplomatic recognition.

The embassy reopening carries strategic and symbolic significance. It strengthens India’s ability to protect and manage longstanding development and infrastructure projects in Afghanistan, maintain humanitarian assistance, and safeguard regional connectivity interests. Observers note the step reflects New Delhi’s desire to preserve influence in Afghanistan as other regional powers recalibrate relations with the de facto authorities. About a dozen countries currently maintain embassies in Kabul, and Russia is the only major power to have formally recognised the Taliban administration to date.

Muttaqi’s multi‑day visit, the first by a Taliban minister to India since 2021, underscores the Taliban’s push to broaden engagement with regional states to expand economic ties and seek eventual diplomatic legitimacy. Indian officials framed the talks as emphasizing stability and countering threats that could spill across borders, while pledging continued humanitarian and development support.

The announcement is likely to draw scrutiny from international and domestic audiences concerned about rights and security under Taliban rule, and will test India’s balancing act between pragmatic engagement and principled concerns. For New Delhi, reopening the embassy is positioned as a measured step to protect strategic interests and humanitarian commitments in Afghanistan amid an evolving regional diplomatic landscape.