Afghanistan’s prime commerce physique has known as for expanded commerce and funding ties with India, stressing the necessity to ease enterprise procedures, take away administrative obstacles and facilitate the issuance of enterprise visas.
The proposal was mentioned throughout a gathering between Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Trade (ACCI) Chairman Syed Karim Hashemi and Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan Yatin Patel in Kabul.
In keeping with a press release launched by the commerce physique on Saturday (July 18, 2026), the 2 international locations held talks “within the framework of a strategic and diplomatic dialogue.”
The assembly passed off as Afghanistan’s transit commerce with neighboring Pakistan plummeted from about $5 billion in FY21 to $367 million in FY26 as Kabul moved in the direction of different commerce routes, together with by way of Iran.
India has strengthened its ties with Afghanistan by way of Iran’s Chabahar port, which supplies direct entry to the landlocked nation bypassing Pakistan, which doesn’t enable Indian items to be transported overland to Afghanistan.
Bilateral commerce between India and Afghanistan stood at $907.85 million in 2025-2026.
India has additionally stepped up its engagement with Kabul, with Afghanistan’s Agriculture Minister Mawlawi Attaullah Omari visiting New Delhi earlier this month.
In keeping with an ACCI assertion, Hashemi reaffirmed the commerce physique’s dedication to strengthening long-term financial cooperation with India and harassed the significance of selling commerce procedures and institutional growth within the personal sector.
Referring to his latest go to to India, Hashemi “harassed the necessity to keep and deepen financial cooperation within the fields of agricultural exports, handicrafts, mining and mineral assets.”
“He additionally introduced a number of strategic proposals aimed toward rising Afghanistan’s exports, together with increasing entry to focus on markets, bettering logistics infrastructure, and facilitating the issuance of enterprise visas,” the assertion added.
The Indian ambassador welcomed these proposals and “reaffirmed India’s assist within the recognized areas of cooperation. He stated plans are underway to carry joint commerce exhibitions, skilled enterprise boards and change of commerce delegations between the 2 international locations,” the assertion stated.
ACCI introduced that each side agreed to pursue sustainable cooperation in commerce, funding and infrastructure growth, and to strengthen long-term financial, political and cultural ties primarily based on “transparency, effectivity and mutual profit”.
Bilateral commerce between India and Afghanistan has remained at round $1 billion for the previous 5 years.
India has constructed the 218km Zaranj-Dehram Freeway in western Afghanistan, linking the Iranian border with Afghanistan’s ring highway community, to facilitate commerce and humanitarian provides. The route is seen as a key element of India’s connectivity technique with Afghanistan and Central Asia.
