India has not officially recognised the Taliban government, but the move signals a deepening engagement, with New Delhi seeking to exploit divisions between Islamabad and Kabul. Noor Ahmad Noor, a Taliban foreign ministry official, assumed responsibility as charge d'affaires, and has already held meetings with Indian officials, the embassy said in a statement. "Both sides emphasised the importance of strengthening Afghanistan-India relations," the Afghan Embassy said, in a post on X late Monday. India has not commented, but the Afghan embassy posted a photograph of Noor with senior Indian foreign ministry official Anand Prakash. Russia is the only country to officially recognise the Afghan Taliban government.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha January 13, 2026 03:10 UTC