India's latest diplomatic outreach to Afghanistan's Taliban government signals a marked shift in how it sees the geopolitical reality in the region. This comes more than three years after India suffered a major strategic and diplomatic blow when Kabul fell to the Taliban.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has met Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, India’s highest-level contact yet with the regime since it came to power in 2021. The meeting was the culmination of the incremental progress of India’s policy of ‘cautious engagement’ with the Taliban – how has it negotiated the relationship over the last three and a half years?

India pledges development projects in Afghanistan, which has endured years of devastating war and natural disasters.

India and Afghanistan have taken a significant step in securing their first high-level bilateral engagement. No foreign government, including India, officially recognizes the Taliban regime.