Afghan Minister begins India visit as Kabul seeks new trade lifelines; attends Delhi trade fair

In a clear signal of Afghanistan’s accelerating pivot away from Pakistan, the country’s minister of Industry and Commerce, Alhaj Nooruddin Azizi, began a five-day official visit to India on Wednesday with a high-profile appearance at the India International Trade Fair (IITF) 2025 or Delhi trade fair. Azizi, leading a large Afghan delegation, was received at the sprawling Bharat Mandapam venue by Neeraj Kharwal, Managing Director of the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO). The visit, the first by an Afghan minister to ITPO since 2021, comes as the Torkham border crossing with Pakistan remains closed following Islamabad’s military strikes inside Afghanistan.

“Advancing bilateral trade and investment ties is the key focus of the visit,” India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement after Azizi was welcomed earlier in the day by Joint Secretary Anand Prakash, who heads the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran division in the Indian foreign ministry. Azizi is expected to meet the external affairs minister, Dr S Jaishankar, on Thursday.

At the fair, Azizi toured Afghan stalls, then met with Afghan traders based in India to explore greater market access. India is already one of Afghanistan’s top trading partners, exporting pharmaceuticals, textiles, sugar, tea, rice, and machinery while importing fruits, nuts, and minerals. New Delhi has already upgraded its diplomatic mission in Kabul to full embassy status, and Afghanistan is now courting Indian investment in mining and other key projects.

In a dramatic gesture timed for Azizi’s arrival, Afghanistan’s national carrier, Ariana Afghan Airlines, slashed cargo rates on the Delhi-Kabul route by more than half, dropping the charge from $2 per kilogram to just 80 cents per kilogram from Delhi to Kabul and $1 per kilogram in the opposite direction, effective immediately and offered exclusively to India.

The move shows Kabul’s determination to bypass Pakistan entirely. Afghanistan has sharply increased shipments through Iran’s Chabahar port, developed with Indian funding, and is expanding direct air cargo links. During a visit last month, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi announced new dedicated cargo flights connecting Delhi-Kabul, Amritsar-Kabul, and Amritsar-Kandahar while voicing strong support for the Chabahar project.