India x Taliban - The new hotshot couple
☕ India’s Morning Briefing: Sat, Oct 11 2025
Good morning India
Today, India has made new friends, with enemies of enemy, a big new dam has been approved to pressure Pakistan and India has its own mental health ambassador. Here’s what you need to know.
Welcome to the 137th edition of The India Brief
1. Politics & Policy
🤝 India Upgrades Kabul Mission to Full Embassy, Engaging Taliban
Technical mission in Kabul; upgraded to full embassy status
Follows visit by Taliban Foreign Minister; Amir Khan Muttaqi
Talks on Indian investment; counter-terrorism assurances given
New Delhi just swiped right on the Taliban. It’s complicated, but apparently, the strategic benefits package was too good to pass up, even if it means ignoring their rather mediaeval social policies.
The Chessboard: This isn’t about friendship; it’s a cold, pragmatic move to counter Pakistani influence and secure a foothold in Afghanistan. India is playing the long game, prioritising regional realpolitik over Western-led ideological isolation. 🔗
🏞️ Massive Hydropower Project on Chenab River Cleared
Sawalkote project in J&K; gets fresh environmental clearance.
Projected capacity of 1856 MW; estimated cost has ballooned to ₹31,380 crore.
Will displace nearly 1,500 families; project has strategic importance post-suspension of Indus Waters Treaty.
A project so big it’s taken decades and its budget has inflated to the size of a small country’s GDP. But it’s finally cleared. Now to just build the thing, move 1,500 families, and hope the geology plays along. 🔗
💡 Government Proposes Opening Retail Power Sector to Private Firms
Draft bill introduced; to allow private electricity retailers nationwide
Would end dominance; of loss-making state-run distributors
Similar attempt in 2022; faced strong political opposition 🔗
⚖️ Supreme Court to Hold National Consultation on Girl Child Safety
10th annual consultation; organised by SC’s Juvenile Justice Committee; 11-12 Oct
Focus on cybercrime; POCSO Act, right to education
CJI and Union Minister for Women & Child Development; to attend 🔗
2. Money & Markets
📈 Indian Stock Markets Close Higher on Sectoral Gains
Sensex closes at 82,500.82; up 0.40%
Nifty 50 closes at 25,285.35; up 0.41%
Rally driven by banking; and pharma stocks, buoyed by US Biosecure Act
The Signal: The markets ended the week on a high note, mostly because a piece of American legislation designed to poke China in the eye is seen as a big win for Indian pharma. Geopolitical drama, it turns out, can be quite profitable. 🔗
👟 Sachin Tendulkar Launches ‘TEN x YOU’ Sportswear Brand
Cricketing icon unveils; new sportswear and athleisure brand
Co-founded by Tendulkar; backed by Peak XV and Whiteboard Capital
Products designed for Indian conditions; shoes priced ₹5,000-₹9,000 🔗
3. Society & Culture
🧠 Deepika Padukone Appointed India’s First Mental Health Ambassador
Appointed by Union Health Ministry; on World Mental Health Day
Will work to raise awareness; reduce stigma associated with mental health
Padukone is the founder of The Live Love Laugh Foundation
In a country where “just cheer up” is often considered medical advice, appointing a high-profile actor who has spoken openly about her own struggles is a genuinely significant step. It’s a welcome dose of celebrity influence for a desperately under-discussed issue. 🔗
4. A Dose of Optimism
👑 Sherry Singh Becomes First Indian to Win Mrs. Universe
Crowned Mrs. Universe 2025; at pageant in the Philippines
Marks the first time; an Indian has won the global title
Advocated for women’s empowerment; and mental health awareness
The Signal: This win reflects a broader shift in global pageantry, moving beyond just aesthetics to value advocacy and life experience. Singh’s victory, championing mental health, signals that substance and social messaging are becoming as important as style on the world stage. 🔗
🐆 Cheetah Safari Opens to Public at Kuno National Park
After 70 years; cheetahs can be seen in the wild in India
Project Cheetah translocated; African cheetahs to Kuno, Madhya Pradesh
Considered a historic moment; in wildlife conservation and rewilding 🔗
🏔️ Spiti Valley Designated India’s 13th UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve; added to UNESCO’s World Network
India’s first high-altitude; cold desert site to get the tag
Home to snow leopards; and 12,000 people with traditional lifestyles 🔗
🤖 IAS Officer’s AI Initiative Boosts Math Scores in Rural Rajasthan
‘Padhai with AI’ programme; launched in 353 Tonk government schools
Provides personalised, bilingual support; to overcome math anxiety
District’s pass rate jumped to 96.4%; outperforming the state average 🔗
🏸 India Secures First-Ever Medal at BWF World Junior Mixed Team C’ships
Indian team outclassed Korea; in the quarter-finals in Guwahati
Historic win confirms; India’s first-ever mixed-team medal in the event
Guarantees at least a bronze; for the junior badminton squad 🔗
5. The Global Chessboard
🕊️ Gaza Ceasefire Takes Effect with Major Prisoner Exchange
Ceasefire began at noon; brokered as part of a US initiative
Israel to release 250 prisoners; with life sentences in first phase
Deal includes release of 1,700 more; detained since Oct 7, 2023
The Deeper Take: This ceasefire is a tactical pause for both sides to re-arm and manage domestic pressure. The large-scale prisoner release, a huge win for Hamas, bolsters its narrative that violence, not diplomacy, yields results, undermining moderate Palestinian factions. 🔗
🏅 Nobel Peace Prize Awarded to Venezuelan Opposition Leader María Corina Machado
Awarded for her work; promoting democratic rights in Venezuela
Praised for her struggle; for a peaceful transition from dictatorship
White House criticises decision; implies Trump was more deserving 🔗
🇹🇼 Taiwan Pledges New Air Defence System Amid China Tensions
President Lai Ching-te announces; accelerated build of “T-Dome” system
Pledges to increase defence spending; to over 3% of GDP
China’s Foreign Ministry; condemns speech as “Taiwan independence” rhetoric 🔗
🌊 7.4 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Philippines, Killing at Least Nine
Powerful quake struck; off the coast of Mindanao
Followed by a 6.8 magnitude aftershock; triggering tsunami warnings
At least 9 deaths reported; nearly 500 injuries 🔗
6. The Deep Dive
India’s Necessary Dance with the Devil
On the surface, India upgrading its mission in Kabul to a full embassy looks like a jarring contradiction. How can the world’s largest democracy formally engage with a regime that bars women from public life and rules with mediaeval brutality; and one which is apparently the 4th least democratic country in the world according to V-Dem Democracy indices (2023)? The answer lies not in shared values, but in cold, hard geopolitical necessity. This is a move straight from the playbook of Chanakya, driven by one overriding imperative: countering Pakistan.
For decades, Islamabad viewed Afghanistan as its “strategic depth,” a backyard it could control through proxies like the Taliban to menace India. But the Taliban’s 2021 takeover created an unexpected rift. Tensions over border disputes and Pakistan’s accusations that the Taliban shelter anti-Pakistan militants have soured the relationship between the former allies.
New Delhi sees this crack as a historic opportunity. By stepping in with offers of investment, aid, and diplomatic engagement, India is playing a long game to peel the Taliban away from Pakistan’s orbit. The goal is to transform Afghanistan from a threat on the western flank into, if not a friend, then at least a neutral buffer state. It’s a high-stakes, deeply pragmatic gamble. It means holding one’s nose while shaking hands with a deplorable regime, all for the greater strategic prize of checkmating a regional rival.
Question for Today
India is engaging with the Taliban for strategic reasons. Is it right for a democracy to set aside its values for geopolitical gain?
Informing you everyday,
Aditya S.
Editor, The India Brief
P.S. Here’s a short 3 year old video explaining Taliban, in case you are a curious learner too.