Published Paper Details:

Abstract: This article aims to analyse India's post-9/11 foreign policy towards Afghanistan. The 9/11 attacks heralded a new era in world politics, but the US-led military involvement that followed in Afghanistan gave India a much-needed chance to rebuild diplomatic relations with Kabul. Since then, India has maintained a cautious position towards Afghanistan by depending more on assistance-driven foreign policy measures than on military intervention in the country's destabilised environment. However, given that India had to close its embassy and consulates in Afghanistan in August 2021 when the Taliban reclaimed control of the nation, the issue still remains as to the extent to which India has been able to carve out a strategic space for itself in Afghanistan. Or, has India's strategy relied too heavily on soft power, preventing it from taking advantage of the opportunity presented by the fall of the Taliban government in late 2001?