Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said India has maintained a people-centric and community-focused policy towards Afghanistan. He stressed that ties between the two societies have endured despite changes in governments.
Speaking during an interaction with students at an Indian university, Jaishankar said India and Afghanistan share centuries-old historical links and that relations between their peoples have continued regardless of political shifts.
Responding to a question from an Afghan student about his recent meeting with Amir Khan Muttaqi, Jaishankar described the talks as positive. He said India is cooperating with Afghanistan in areas including development projects, food assistance and health services.
Muttaqi visited New Delhi from October 9 to 16, 2025, marking the first visit by a senior Taliban official to India since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. The visit was made possible after the United Nations Security Council granted Muttaqi a temporary travel exemption despite international sanctions.
The visit coincided with Pakistani airstrikes on Kabul and several Afghan border provinces. In the months that followed, engagement between India and the Taliban administration gradually expanded.
After Muttaqi’s trip, the Taliban’s commerce minister and public health minister also travelled to New Delhi. India later pledged additional support for Afghanistan, particularly in the pharmaceutical sector, after the suspension of medicine imports from Pakistan.
Jaishankar said India’s approach remains focused on supporting the Afghan people and addressing humanitarian and development needs, regardless of political circumstances.
