A senior US official has said the Trump administration wants India to help strengthen Afghanistan's capacities and institutions so that the war-torn country can take on a resurgent Afghan Taliban based in neighbouring Pakistan. <br/><br/>The official said where the help is needed by India primarily is in areas of ensuring that Afghanistan can be strengthened as a state.<br/><br/>And that the state can be hardened and strengthened against any regenerative capacity of the Taliban which lies mainly across the border in Pakistan. <br/><br/>The official was responding to a question by PTI on India's contribution in bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan in the aftermath of the new Afghan and South Asia policy announced by President Donald Trump in August.<br/><br/>The official said India is helping Afghanistan by helping the Afghan people. India has done a great deal of work to help Afghanistan in the area of water management for example. He said India has also helped foster some important industries that will lead to economic growth and employment in particular. <br/><br/>The construction sector is another area where it does help tremendously. And as such, any help India can do in Afghanistan in those areas of economic development would be of great help, the official added.