Taliban has taken over Afghanistan. This will have a direct impact on the trade between India and Afghanistan. The main reason for this is that the Indian government does not recognize the Taliban. Whereas India had good relations with the Government of Afghanistan. India is the largest market for Afghan products in South Asia. India has invested about $3 billion (Rs 22,251 crore) in Afghanistan.
Trade between India and Afghanistan
Bilateral trade takes place between India and Afghanistan. In the financial year 2020-21, there has been a trade of $ 1.4 billion i.e. Rs 10,387 crore between the two countries, while in 2019-20 there was a trade of $ 1.5 billion (Rs 11,131 crore) between the two countries. In 2020-21, India exported products worth about Rs 6,129 crore to Afghanistan, while India imported products worth Rs 37,83 crore.
Products imported from Afghanistan
India imports nuts like raisins, walnuts, almonds, figs, pistachios, dried apricots from Afghanistan. Apart from this, it also imports pomegranate, apple, cherry, cantaloupe, watermelon, asafoetida, cumin and saffron.
Products exported from India
India sends goods made from wheat, coffee, cardamom, black pepper, tobacco, coconut and coconut jute to Afghanistan. Apart from this, it exports clothes, confectionery items, fish products, vegetable ghee, vegetable oil. It also sends other products including vegetable, chemical products and soaps, drugs, medicines and antibiotics, engineering goods, electrical goods, rubber products, military equipments.
India’s global business will be affected
India has invested about 22 thousand 251 crore rupees in Afghanistan in the last 20 years. India’s strategy behind this was that Chabahar Port in Iran would be connected to Afghanistan through road. The work of the road project from Chabahar port in Iran to Delaram in Afghanistan is also going on. This will facilitate India’s access to Central Europe via Afghanistan. Through this route, India will also be able to do business with Central Europe, but now this plan seems to be going downhill. During the last two decades, India has done a lot for the development of Afghanistan. India has built a 218 km long road between Delaram and Zaranj Salma Dam here. Apart from this, the Parliament of Afghanistan has also been built by India.
