Afghanistan’s Taliban government has appointed its first senior envoy to India since returning to power in 2021, signaling a potential deepening of diplomatic engagement despite New Delhi’s refusal to officially recognise the group.
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Noor Ahmad Noor, a Taliban foreign ministry official, has assumed the role of charge d’affaires at the Afghan embassy in New Delhi. According to a statement from the embassy, Noor has already held meetings with senior Indian officials, including Anand Prakash, to discuss bilateral relations. “Both sides emphasised the importance of strengthening Afghanistan-India relations,” the embassy said in a post on X.
The Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in New Delhi, H.E. Mufti Noor Ahmad Noor, met with Mr. Anand Prakash, Joint Secretary of the Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran (PAI) Division at the Ministry of External Affairs of India.
1/3 pic.twitter.com/DpLTaFxUUe— AFG Embassy INDIA (@AFGEmbassyINDIA) January 12, 2026
While India has yet to comment officially, the appointment highlights New Delhi’s efforts to engage with Kabul amid regional tensions. India and Pakistan, nuclear-armed rivals, experienced a brief but deadly border clash in May 2025, and Afghanistan’s diplomatic positioning could play a strategic role in South Asian geopolitics.
The Taliban’s strict interpretation of Islamic law presents a complex backdrop for engagement with India’s Hindu nationalist government. Nevertheless, New Delhi appears to be exploring opportunities to maintain influence in Afghanistan and potentially exploit divisions between Islamabad and Kabul.
For the Taliban, the move is part of a broader effort to assert control over Afghanistan’s overseas diplomatic missions and gain international legitimacy. So far, only Russia officially recognises the Taliban government, though India upgraded its technical mission in Kabul to a full embassy in October 2025.
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Noor Ahmad Noor’s appointment represents a milestone for the Taliban’s foreign policy outreach, and observers will be watching closely how this engagement shapes regional diplomacy, security dynamics, and India-Afghanistan ties in the coming months.