Afghan Trade Minister Nooruddin Azizi begins a 5-day India visit to boost trade ties. [Photo: Reuters]
Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, Nooruddin Azizi, will begin a 5-day visit to India from November 19. He will arrive with a large delegation. He will also meet India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.
This will be the second high-level visit from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to India within a month. It follows last month’s important trip by Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. The visit aims to turn growing political goodwill into practical steps that boost trade between the two countries.
Nooruddin Azizi is Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Commerce under the Islamic Emirate government. He oversees the country’s trade policies, industrial development, investment outreach, and economic cooperation with foreign partners. Azizi has played a key role in rebuilding Afghanistan’s trade networks after the political transition in 2021.
He regularly meets international business groups to attract investment in sectors such as mining, agriculture, infrastructure, and transit. His visit to India aims to expand Afghanistan’s foreign trade options and strengthen ties with India at a time when Kabul is diversifying beyond Pakistan.
In a major move timed with Azizi’s arrival, Afghanistan’s national carrier Ariana Afghan Airlines has sharply reduced cargo rates on the Delhi route. The airline has slashed prices by more than half, and these rates apply only to India.
“Earlier, Ariana was charging $2 per kilogram for cargo between Delhi and Kabul. Now, it has been instructed to reduce the rate to 80 cents per kg from Delhi to Kabul and $1 per kg from Kabul to Delhi,” said Mawlawi Bakhturahman Sharafat, the airline’s director general.
He called the decision historic. He added that “no such discounts have been given to any other foreign routes” and that “the special discounts are only for India routes. This shows the strong relationship between the 2 countries.”
During his visit in October, Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi announced new cargo flights between Delhi-Kabul, Amritsar-Kabul, and Amritsar-Kandahar. He also supported the Chabahar port project, calling it “advantageous for us.”
Muttaqi had met Indian businessmen and urged them to explore investment opportunities in Afghanistan. Kabul wants global partners to invest in sectors such as mining, agriculture, and transit. Azizi’s visit continues that momentum and signals Kabul’s intent to strengthen ties with India at a crucial time.
The visit comes as Afghanistan tries to reduce its trade dependence on Pakistan and build a sanctions-resistant trade network with India and Iran. Ties between Kabul and Islamabad have worsened in recent months. The Torkham border has remained closed since Pakistan launched strikes inside Afghan territory. Due to this, Afghanistan is routing more trade through Iran’s Chabahar port and through its direct air links with India.
Afghanistan’s trade with Iran has now crossed $1.6 billion in the last six months. This has overtaken its trade volumes with Pakistan. With the U.S. granting a fresh sanctions waiver for the Chabahar project, India now has an opening to increase its role in the region. India has also reopened its embassy in Kabul, which strengthens diplomatic engagement.
Azizi’s visit comes at a time when India has an opportunity to increase its economic footprint in Afghanistan. Pakistan risks losing nearly $2 billion in annual exports to Afghanistan as Kabul turns to Iran and India for reliable partners.
India, which already has strong development and humanitarian ties with Afghanistan, may now emerge as a key supplier in sectors like food, medicines, construction materials, and technology. The new cargo discounts and upcoming trade talks could mark the start of a deeper India–Afghanistan economic corridor built through Chabahar.
