Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in neighbouring Bhutan on Tuesday for a two-day visit. The visit has been dubbed a vital step forward in further cementing India-Bhutan ties and addressing regional and global challenges together. It also aims to reaffirm India’s commitment towards further strengthening strategic, economic, and cultural relations with Bhutan.
PM Modi, in Bhutan, will join King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and inaugurate the 1,020-megawatt Punatsangchhu-II Hydroelectric Project, a key milestone in bilateral cooperation.
The PM is also set to join the celebrations of the 70th birth anniversary of Bhutan’s Fourth King, Jigme Singye Wangchuck. He will also sit for talks with former Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay to discuss more avenues for bilateral collaboration.
During his visit, the Indian PM will also take part in the Global Peace Prayer Festival and offer prayers to the Sacred Relics of Lord Buddha at the historic Tashichhodzong monastery in the capital Thimphu, underscoring the intrinsic cultural and religious relations shared by the two Himalayan countries.
Ahead of the visit, PM Modi on Sunday expressed gratitude to the people of Bhutan for giving a warm and reverent reception to the Holy Relics, brought recently from India. Writing on X, the PM described the relics as powerful symbols of peace, compassion, and harmony that bring together the spiritual heritage of both countries.
“Heartfelt appreciation to the people and leadership of Bhutan for the reverent welcome accorded to the Sacred Relics of Lord Buddha from India. These relics symbolize the timeless message of peace, compassion, and harmony. The teachings of Lord Buddha are a sacred link between our two nations’ shared spiritual heritage,” the PM wrote.
Historic ties, from energy to tourism
It is important to note that diplomatic ties between India and Bhutan were first established in 1968, and these are governed by the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation signed in 1949. The bilateral treaty was revised in February 2007.
Indian and Bhutanese leaders continue to engage in regular political and official exchanges as a key pillar of the bilateral friendship and cooperation. In 2014, after being sworn in as the Prime Minister of India for the first time, Modi chose Bhutan for his first overseas visit, underscoring the importance New Delhi attaches to the tiny Himalayan country. Since then, Modi has travelled to Bhutan several times, including for a landmark state visit in March 2024 during which he received the Order of the Druk Gyalpo, Bhutan’s highest civilian decoration, from His Majesty the King, in recognition of the PM’s outstanding contribution to strengthening the India-Bhutan friendship. It may be noted that PM Modi is the first foreign national to be accorded this prestigious award.
Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay have also visited India many times on official visits.
As regards developmental partnership, India has been supporting Bhutan in its socio-economic development ever since the formulation of its first Five-Year Plan in 1971. For example, the Government of India has extended Rs 10,000 crore grant for Bhutan’s current (13th) Five-Year Plan.
The two countries have also been cooperating in the field of energy and have jointly developed five major hydro-electric projects (HEPs) in Bhutan totaling 3156 MW, including 336 MW Chukha HEP, 60 MW Kurichhu HEP, 1020 MW Tala HEP, 720 MW Mangdechhu HEP, and the recently completed 1020 MW Punatsangchhu-II HEP. A 1200 MW Punatsangchhu-I HEP is under construction.
Further, bilateral agreements, including the 2007 India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty and the 2016 India-Bhutan Agreement on Trade, Commerce and Transit, allow for a free trade regime between the two countries and also grant Bhutan duty-free transit of goods to/from third countries. Also, India continues to remain Bhutan’s top trading partner.
The two neighbours also continue to work on improving connectivity, and the endeavours include establishing cross-border rail links, strengthening road connectivity, establishing Integrated Check Posts and trade routes, new immigration points, multi-modal trade routes, and digital connectivity. In September this year, the two countries inked a landmark agreement for establishing railway links, including Kokrajhar-Gelephu (69 km) and Banarhat-Samtse (20km) links with a total estimated cost of Rs 4033.34 crore.
Space and FinTech are two other areas of cooperation between the two nations. Further, people-to-people cooperation continues by way of education and capacity building. The India-Bhutan Foundation (IBF), set up in 2003, continues to promote activities in educational, cultural, scientific, and technical fields.
Buddhism remains a religious and heritage connection between the two countries, and people from both countries travel across the border to visit pilgrimage sites, including Bodh Gaya, Rajgir, Nalanda, Sikkim, Udayagiri, and Sarnath.
It may also be noted that around 50,000 Indians are currently working in Bhutan in various sectors, including infrastructure development, hydropower, education, and trade and commerce.