India has committed to supplying medicines to Afghanistan on a long-term basis, signalling a deepening of health-sector engagement with the Taliban-led administration despite the absence of formal diplomatic recognition, The Khaama Press News Agency has reported.

New Delhi said the initiative is intended to help ease chronic shortages of pharmaceuticals in Afghanistan and reduce reliance on imports from Pakistan, which Taliban officials say previously dominated the market. The move follows a recent visit to India by Afghanistan’s acting health minister and reflects India’s broader emphasis on humanitarian and development assistance as the cornerstone of its Afghanistan policy.

As part of the effort, the two sides have agreed to establish a joint working group linking their health ministries. Discussions during the visit focused on cooperation in healthcare infrastructure, including proposals for cancer treatment centres, as well as training programmes aimed at strengthening Afghanistan’s medical workforce through Indian expertise.

According to Khaama Press, the Afghan delegation toured hospitals, pharmaceutical manufacturers and health institutions across India, receiving assurances of expanded cooperation. Taliban officials have portrayed India as a crucial alternative supplier as relations with Pakistan have deteriorated, disrupting traditional trade routes for medicines and medical equipment.

Contacts between New Delhi and Kabul have increased in recent months, extending beyond health to include visits by senior Taliban figures responsible for foreign affairs and commerce. This engagement has unfolded against a backdrop of worsening relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, marked by border tensions, security disputes and refugee deportations.

For India, closer health cooperation offers a way to maintain regional influence while presenting itself as a dependable partner focused on the welfare of the Afghan population.