Afghanistan chamber seeks wider trade, easier visas and investment ties with India

Afghanistan's top trading body urged India to widen trade and investment ties during talks in Kabul. The outreach highlights Kabul's push for alternative routes and easier business access amid shrinking transit trade through Pakistan.Stock photo used for illustrationAfghanistan's top trading body has called for wider trade and investment ties with India, with a focus on easing business procedures, removing administrative hurdles and facilitating business visas. These proposals were discussed at a meeting between the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) and India's envoy in Kabul.The talks took place during a meeting in Kabul between ACCI Chairman Sayed Karim Hashemi and Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan Yatin Patel, and were held "in the framework of a strategic and diplomatic dialogue", according to a statement issued by the trading body on Saturday. The engagement comes as trade routes and regional connectivity remain central to economic ties between the two countries.The meeting comes amid a sharp fall in Afghanistan's transit trade with neighbouring Pakistan, which dropped to USD 367 million in FY26 from about USD 5 billion in FY21, as Kabul increasingly shifted to alternative routes, including through Iran. India has been strengthening connectivity with Afghanistan through Iran's Chabahar port, which gives direct access to the landlocked country while bypassing Pakistan, which does not allow overland transit of Indian goods to Afghanistan.According to the ACCI statement, Hashemi reaffirmed the chamber's commitment to strengthening long-term economic cooperation with India and underlined the need to facilitate trade procedures and support institutional development in the private sector. Referring to his recent visit to India, Hashemi "stressed the need to sustain and deepen economic cooperation in the fields of agricultural exports, handicrafts, mining, and mineral resources". "He also presented several strategic proposals aimed at increasing Afghanistan's exports, including expanding access to target markets, improving logistics infrastructure, and facilitating the issuance of business visas," the statement added. The Indian ambassador welcomed the proposals and "reaffirmed India's support in the identified areas of cooperation. He stated that plans are underway to organise joint trade exhibitions, specialised business forums, and the exchange of trade delegations between the two countries", the statement said. The ACCI said both sides agreed to pursue sustainable cooperation in trade, investment and infrastructure development and strengthen long-term economic, political and cultural ties based on "transparency, efficiency and mutual benefit".India-Afghanistan bilateral trade stood at USD 907.85 million in 2025-26 and has largely remained around the USD 1 billion mark over the past five years. India has also stepped up engagement with Kabul, with Afghan Agriculture Minister Mawlawi Ataullah Omari visiting New Delhi earlier this month. India has built the 218-km Zaranj-Delaram highway in western Afghanistan, linking the Iranian border with Afghanistan's ring road network to facilitate trade and humanitarian supplies. Overall, the latest talks in Kabul centred on expanding trade, improving connectivity and deepening long-term economic cooperation between the two sides. With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Jul 19, 2026 13:56 IST