India, Afghanistan operationalise new air freight link

India and Afghanistan have agreed to operationalise a new Air Freight Corridor linking Kabul with Delhi and Amritsar, giving a major push to bilateral trade and market access at a time when both sides are seeking to revive commercial engagement, the Ministry of External Affairs said here on Tuesday.

The decision was announced during the visit of Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Commerce Alhaj Nooruddin Azizi, who held extensive talks in New Delhi over the past week.

The MEA said the new air corridor would “significantly facilitate” the movement of goods between the two countries and help Afghan producers access Indian markets more efficiently. Officials described the initiative as a tangible outcome of Azizi’s visit, which focused heavily on trade connectivity and economic cooperation.

Azizi met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, with both leaders reviewing bilateral ties, connectivity projects and people-to-people exchanges. The Afghan minister later held delegation-level talks with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, where the two sides not only finalised the air corridor, but also agreed to reactivate the Joint Working Group on Trade, Commerce and Investment.

To institutionalise commercial engagement, India and Afghanistan will post Commercial Representatives at their respective embassies and set up a Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Discussions during the visit also covered collaboration in mining and other high-value sectors. Azizi separately met Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada.

The Afghan delegation visited the India International Trade Fair (IITF-2025), which hosted several Afghan exhibitors and held sectoral meetings with APEDA, TEXPROCIL, Cotton Corporation of India, AEPC, MATEXIL, PHDCCI, ASSOCHAM and PHARMEXCIL on long-term supply of agricultural products, medicines and essential commodities.

Officials said the visit reflects a shared commitment to strengthen economic linkages despite regional challenges. “India remains committed to working closely with Afghanistan to advance this partnership in a manner that delivers sustainable benefits to the people of both countries,” the MEA said.