NEW DELHI, Nov 21: Afghanistan’s Commerce and Industry Minister Alhaj Nooruddin Azizi on Friday invited Indian businesses to invest in the landlocked nation, promising a conducive environment to foster bilateral trade and boost economic cooperation.
He outlined mining, agriculture, health and pharmaceuticals, information technology, energy and textiles as areas where significant opportunities exist for business engagement.
Azizi, along with a high-powered delegation, arrived in New Delhi on a five-day visit to the country.
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“I would like to invite Indian industrialists and traders to see the potential of Afghanistan and the current enabling environment that we have already created for them and for other traders. So, it would be a very good opportunity in terms of exploring it in the mining industry, the agriculture sector, health, and IT. So, there is a huge opportunity available in Afghanistan, and I would like to kindly invite you to come and visit them,” the Afghan minister said.
He also expressed gratitude to the Indian government for its continued support while addressing an interactive session organised by industry body PHDCCI.
The minister said his nation is offering several new incentives, including a 1 per cent tariff on raw materials and machinery, free land allocations, reliable power supply, and proposed five-year tax exemptions for new industries — particularly those established by returning Afghan refugees.
He also encouraged greater engagement from the Afghan Sikh and Hindu communities and reaffirmed Afghanistan’s commitment to ensuring a peaceful, inclusive, and business-friendly environment for all partners.
India and Afghanistan have agreed to various measures to boost bilateral trade, currently valued at around USD 1 billion.
These include deputing a commercial attache in each other’s embassy to oversee and support bilateral trade cooperation, reactivating the joint working group on trade, commerce and investment, among other measures.
Meanwhile, the Indian government said air cargo services between India and Afghanistan will “commence very soon”.
“I am pleased to announce that the air freight corridor on the Kabul-Delhi sector and Kabul-Amritsar routes have been activated and cargo flights on these sectors will commence very soon,” Anand Prakash, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, said, while speaking in the presence of the Afghanistan Commerce and Industry minister here.
This will significantly enhance the connectivity and further strengthen our trade and commercial ties, he added.
“Bilateral trade stands at around 1 billion. However, there remains significant scope for further growth. In this context, we have decided to reactivate the joint working group on trade, commerce and investment,” Prakash said. (PTI)
