India reached out to Syria's provisional government in late July by sending its first official delegation to Damascus in order to understand the interim government's plans and priorities.
Suresh Kumar, a joint secretary in India's Ministry of External Affairs, met with senior officials, including Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, underscoring India's interest in sustaining robust relations irrespective of Syria's internal political transitions.
High-level diplomacy
Among other issues, the meetings focused on enhancing health cooperation, technical and educational collaboration and laying the groundwork for humanitarian assistance and future reconstruction efforts.
In December, Syria's longtime dictator Bashar Assad was toppled by a coalition of rebel groups, primarily led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and supported by the Syrian National Army and other Turkish-backed factions.
Syria, which is now under the interim leadership of former HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, has secured the support of many regional powers, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar — as well as international powers such as the United States.
Balancing risks and opportunities amid transition
Experts and diplomats told DW that India's outreach to Syria's interim government helps ensure it is not sidelined in the reconstruction of the war-torn country.
Muddassir Quamar, associate professor at the Centre for West Asian Studies at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, said India's outreach reinforces its image as a nonaligned power willing to engage with diverse regimes to promote stability.
"Notably, India's regional friends, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, have extended vital support to Syria in this crucial time of transition, and this can help India in its engagements," said Quamar, adding that this development showcases India's newfound boldness in its international relations.
"Syria is also emerging as a major pawn in relations between Turkey and Israel, which makes it strategically important for India's regional interests," Quamar added.
"India has a stake in the future of Syria for energy, economic and strategic factors and it is indeed important to develop a cautious engagement with the new government."
India's 'strategic interests' in Syria
Quamar noted that a stable Syria ensures secure trade routes and energy corridors critical to India's economy — particularly as it deepens ties with Gulf states and navigates tensions involving Iran.
Syria has seen several waves of sectarian violence since the new government took over in December.
Shanthie Mariet D'Souza, executive director of Mantraya, an independent research forum, said India has multiple strategic interests in Syria, including safeguarding the interests of remaining Indians, and this can be done only when it maintains ties with the new regime.
"The new regime is still facing a lot of instability, and any assistance in the form of reconstruction and humanitarian assistance would be welcomed by it," D'Souza told DW.
"Moreover, India's engagement with the new regime is also a step towards strengthening regional stability so that the new regime can be empowered to prevent Syria from becoming a haven for extremist groups," said D'Souza.
She noted that by establishing an early relationship with post-Assad Syria, India protects its interests and reduces the risk of a strategic vacuum that could be exploited by others.
Since the fall of the Assad regime, many other countries have factored Syria's new reality into their policies — including countries that maintained links with the regime, as well as those that sought its downfall. Many were guided by their core interests of stability, influence and regional security.
"India, on the other hand, insisted on a rather ambivalent 'Syrian-led' process," said D'Souza.
"The visit represents India's acknowledgement that the Assad era in Syria is over, and it needs to reframe a policy of engagement with the new regime, which represents a new power center."
She pointed out that India's recent outreach to Syria's interim leadership resembles New Delhi's pragmatic shift in Afghanistan, where it has stepped up its outreach with the Taliban rulers after two decades of supporting the previous republican government.
Will it open a door for India?
Officials in India's Ministry of External Affairs have pointed out that India's decision to maintain its embassy in Damascus throughout the Syrian civil war — even with reduced staff — demonstrated its long-term strategic thinking.
"India has always had good relations with Syria and its people even in a historic and civilizational context. India has always supported a Syrian- led solution through dialogue and diplomacy," Anil Trigunayat, a former Indian diplomat, told DW.
As head of the West Asia experts' group at the Vivekananda International Foundation, a New Delhi-based think tank, Trigunayat said that India's ties with Syria are part of a bilateral relationship like any other that it pursues.
"Iran is on a weak wicket in Syria, but Turkey's hold over al-Sharaa is significant [and] he is also smartly looking to engage with other powers including India along with Western and Arab states," he said, referring to Syria's interim leader.
"Likewise, India must engage with all partners in west Asia including Syria — vacuum or not."
