India to Supply Medicines to Afghanistan on Long-Term Basis

India has pledged to meet Afghanistan’s long-term pharmaceutical needs, underscoring a steady expansion of health cooperation with the Taliban-led administration following a recent visit by its health minister to New Delhi.

In a statement issued on Monday, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said the move would help address Afghanistan’s medicine shortages and reduce its dependence on Pakistani drug imports, which Taliban officials estimate once accounted for up to 70% of the Afghanistan pharmaceutical market.

The ministry also announced the formation of a joint working group between the health ministries of India and Afghanistan, reaffirming New Delhi’s commitment to humanitarian assistance and people-centric engagement with Afghanistan despite the absence of formal diplomatic recognition of the Taliban government.

Taliban Health Minister Noor Jalal Jalali, who visited India from December 16 to 21, held talks with Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh. Discussions focused on healthcare infrastructure projects, the establishment of cancer treatment centres in Afghanistan, and the deployment of Indian medical teams to train Afghanistan doctors and build institutional capacity.

During his visit, Jalali toured at least 10 Indian hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and health-related institutions, receiving what officials described as positive assurances of cooperation, reflecting India’s broader strategy of using humanitarian and development assistance as a key pillar of its Afghanistan policy.

Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Jalali said deteriorating relations with Pakistan had forced Kabul to seek alternative markets for medicines and medical supplies. He described India as a primary partner in filling the supply gap and said the Taliban were seeking to open a “new chapter” of cooperation, particularly in the health sector.

Contacts between India and the Taliban have intensified in recent months, with the foreign and commerce ministers also visiting New Delhi, even as relations between Kabul and Islamabad have sharply worsened.

Tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan have escalated over border security, cross-border militant activity, and Pakistan’s accusations that Afghanistan territory is being used by armed groups hostile to Islamabad. The situation has been compounded by frequent border skirmishes and Pakistan’s deportation of Afghan refugees, further straining ties.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has publicly alleged that elements within the Taliban leadership are acting as proxies for India, claims he made during talks between Pakistani and Taliban delegations in Istanbul. India has not responded to the accusation, while Taliban authorities have yet to issue a formal comment.

For New Delhi, analysts say expanding health and humanitarian engagement with Afghanistan allows India to retain strategic influence in the region while positioning itself as a reliable partner for the Afghanistan people amid shifting regional alignments.

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