Special Briefing by the Ministry of External Affairs on PM Modi’s visit to Bhutan (November 11, 2025)

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: To brief you on this special visit let me tell you we have interpreter services in case some people here would like to ask questions in Dzongkha.

With that I turn over mike to Ambassador to give his remarks, Sadeep over to you.

Shri Sandeep Arya (Ambassador of India to Bhutan): Thank you Randhir.

Good evening to all of you, very happy to see you all in Bhutan, in Thimphu. Dear friends, we have had since the morning the three or four main components of what has happened during the day.

First was the arrival at Paro Airport around 10.30 am. The Honourable Prime Minister of India was received by Honourable Prime Minister of Bhutan at the airport. Although there was a function going on at the Changlimithang Stadium, but Prime Minister of Bhutan thought that he should be personally present to welcome and greet the Prime Minister of India. There was a guard of honour, there was a ceremonial traditional welcome at the airport for the Prime Minister. And Prime Minister of India from the airport directly went to the function at the Changlimithang Stadium.

After that, the second important activity during the day has been the function at the Changlimithang Stadium, which was, I think, full of crowd. People are estimating 25,000 to 30,000 people were present at the stadium. Both leaders addressed the people at the Changlimithang Stadium, or Celebration Ground as it is called. And the speeches are available in the public domain. But you would notice that both the leaders highlighted that it is a series of things which are taking place. It's a very, very special occasion for Bhutan, and therefore also a very important occasion from India's perspective, as the leaders highlighted.

There is a Global Peace Prayer going on in Bhutan over this two-week period. We are in the middle of that. I mean, one week has just ended. And Bhutan coming forward to organize peace prayer for global peace is a very noble objective. And that objective, I think, is what India shares. So that's an important dimension to India's participation in the function which is taking place around peace prayer.

Prime Minister of India also mentioned and His Majesty, the King of Bhutan, acknowledged the presence of sacred Piprahwa relics of Lord Buddha, which are in Bhutan for this 10-day period, coinciding with the global peace prayer. So, both sides underlined the importance of spiritual and religious connections relating to Buddhism between the two countries. So that was, I think, another important aspect which was referred by both the leaders at the stadium and provides, I think, the relevance of the presence of the Prime Minister of India in Bhutan at this time.

The third important factor which both leaders highlighted was about the importance of the relationship for both countries … importance of the relationship for each other, from Bhutan's perspective, and from India's perspective. Prime Minister of India underlined that it was commitment of himself and of India to Bhutan which made him also participate at this very special, very important occasion for Bhutan and for India. He talked about India-Bhutan relationship as a relationship of values, of emotions, of peace, of progress, a partnership of trust and development. And as Prime Minister described it, he said that it is a model for the region.

His Majesty, the King of Bhutan, also underlined the exponential growth in the relationship between the two countries. He also described it as a legacy from father to son, and which has such a very, very strong foundation. And then he also committed that we need to build upon and take forward the relationship.

The central feature of the event also was marking the 70th birthday of His Majesty, the 4th King of Bhutan. As the King of Bhutan mentioned that it was a milestone event in the life of what he called was perhaps the most extraordinary leader of Bhutan. And, as Prime Minister of India mentioned, he assumed reign of Bhutan at the young age of 16 years, and then continued to run or lead the country for 34 years. And both the King of Bhutan and the Prime Minister of India paid tribute. They highlighted various aspects of the contributions of the personality, and what Bhutan has achieved under the 4th King of Bhutan and also what it has done to the relationship between the two countries.

Prime Minister of India mentioned about the wisdom, about the simplicity, about the courage, about the selfless service of His Majesty, the 4th King of Bhutan, and talked about his vision, his affection to the people of Bhutan and several of his contributions for the relationship between the two countries.

And of course, I think it was very touching for both sides, the fact that despite the blast in Delhi which took place yesterday evening … and I think in that background, the fact that the Prime Minister of India considered it still important to be present here, and appreciation and acknowledgement of that by King of Bhutan and the 4th King, I think, was notable.

The King of Bhutan led special prayers. The prayers, he said, were also dedicated to India, to the Prime Minister and his vision for the future of India. He also dedicated the prayers to the victims and the people who suffered in the incident in Delhi yesterday evening.

In the afternoon, we had an audience of the Prime Minister of India on the King of Bhutan. In that audience, the Prime Minister of Bhutan was also present and the two leaders discussed in some detail different aspects of the relationship. I think they talked about very, very close, very familial, very special relations between the two countries. That was underlined.

They touched upon various features of the relationship. They talked about the very strong development partnership and its implementation which is going on, which the Prime Minister of India had also committed when he visited in March 2024. The leaders talked about the importance of connectivity, which leads to opportunity and prosperity. They talked about the road connections, the railway connections, the new project for railway connectivity from two cities in Bhutan, from Samtse and from Gelephu. From Samtse going to Banarhat, and from Gelephu to Kokrajhar. That construction will be taking place over the coming years. The importance of railway connectivity for the access to Indian economy and for the people of Bhutan through an additional way, in addition to the road connectivity which is present.

The Prime Minister of India announced the opening of immigration check posts near the Gelephu border, which will be important for investors, businesses and the people to be travelling across the border as the Gelephu Mindfulness City project unfolds in the coming years.

Energy partnership was another very important feature of the discussions, and I think energy has had a long history both in the Indian side … and that means the Prime Minister of India and the King of Bhutan, both of them underlined the fact that the foundation for the hydropower partnership between the two countries was laid during the period of the fourth king of Bhutan in 1970s. Over a period of time, it has had enormous achievements.

There was, after the meeting, the joint inauguration of this 1020 megawatt Punatsangchhu II hydropower project, and that project has added 40% to the total installed power generation capacity in Bhutan, which I think is a very important, very big step forward. The Prime Minister of India also mentioned about another hydropower project on which both countries have agreed to move forward. That project has been in the work, the Punatsangchhu I project.

There was around energy, if I have to add, basically the renewable energy … is a very important dimension which is getting added because it enhances energy security of Bhutan and also brings India's skills capabilities in that area. So, the two countries signed an exchange in the presence of the two leaders and MOU on cooperation in the field of renewable energy, which will cover solar energy, wind energy, biomass energy, green hydrogen, and tree storage and energy storage in general, which I think is a very good beginning. It's a very substantive memorandum of understanding in which the two countries will look at joint design and development of energy projects in all of these areas.

At the same meeting, there was an announcement of a line of credit of Indian rupees 4,000 Crore which translates into Ngultrum 40 billion, which has been kind of extended after the meeting today. The other aspects which were highlighted or underlined at the meeting were about youth exchanges, about greater people-to-people connections, and about cultural and spiritual connections between the two countries. The part you might be aware of, in September first week, there was an inauguration of a Royal Bhutanese temple in a city called Rajgir, which is a holy city connected also to the life of Lord Buddha. So, that was the second Buddhist temple.

There is already, several decades ago, a Royal Buddhist monastery in the town of Bodh Gaya. The second one was inaugurated in September, for which His Holiness Je Khenpo and the Prime Minister of Bhutan were in India.

Today, the Prime Minister of India also announced that on the request of the government of Bhutan, the Government of India will be providing land for another third Buddhist temple in the town of Varanasi.

So apart from that, I think we had two more agreements which were signed between the two countries. There was an agreement on cooperation in the field of health and medicine. And health and medicine is a long-ongoing area. There is a lot of work that has been done in the past, over the last decade or two, in terms of infrastructure, in terms of hospital buildings. When the Prime Minister of India was here, there was the inauguration of a big mother and child care hospital in the city of Thimphu.

So this MOU, which was signed and exchanged today in the presence of the two leaders, lays the foundation for a greater set of activities, skill development, joint research, biotechnology, and traditional medicine. And also in the field of pharmaceuticals, there is a very interesting component on which both countries will try to work forward to increase capacities, increase technical capabilities, and perhaps joint research in the field of health and medicine.

The final agreement which was signed was the MOU between one of the leading, perhaps the leading centres, not just in India, but also in Asia, called NIMHANS, and something called PEMA Secretariat, which is a leading organization in the field of mental health in Bhutan. So the two of them have agreed to work together on building capacity in the field of mental health. So, it again involves developing people who can provide these services in Bhutan, doing some joint research, and bringing, I think, the capabilities and achievements of NIMHANS for the purpose of the activities of PEMA Secretariat in Bhutan.

So, I think these three important MOU signatures and the decisions announced from the line of credit to the Varanasi Temple and the Gelephu Immigration Checkpoint were key specific decisions which will provide new fillip. And, of course, taking forward cooperation in different areas, on connectivity, on the area of rail links, on the area of trade and economic cooperation, development partnership, and implementation. So I think it's very, very substantive, very useful discussions.

I think they will give a new fillip, and take forward what we call a very special friendship and very unique relations between India and Bhutan over the coming years. Thank you very much.

Shri Munu Mahawar, Additional Secretary (North):Thank you. I think you have covered most of the points. Just to add a few elements. On the programme side, later in the evening, the Prime Minister will attend a royal banquet which is being hosted by the King of Bhutan in the honour of the Prime Minister.

Tomorrow morning, the Prime Minister will have a royal audience with His Majesty the Fourth King, and the Prime Minister will also participate in the Global Peace Prayer festival before his departure. In terms of outcomes, Ambassador has explained in detail, presented in detail various outcomes. But we will be providing you, sharing with you the specific details for your ready reference. Thank you.

Sahil Pandey, ANI:Sahil Pandey, ANI News Agency. Talking about the line of credit, 4000 crores which have been decided. Any particular focus areas and any term of line of credit and priority sector where Bhutan shown interest to use the line of credit? Thank you.

Shri Munu Mahawar, Additional Secretary (North):So, as you know, Government of India has been extending lines of credit to its partner countries to support their developmental efforts. We have extended such lines of credit in our neighbourhood and beyond. This will be the first line of credit for Bhutan, and its focus is going to be energy sector.

We are always guided by the priorities of the recipient country, our partner country. So, eventually it will be for the Government of Bhutan to select its projects which will be funded under this concessional line of credit. I must specify that this is a concessional line of credit, which is being extended by the Government of India.

Sangay Rabten, Business Bhutan: Good evening, my name is Sangay Rabten. I am with Business Bhutan. During Prime Minister Modi's address this morning, we heard that India will promote or help the investor, and they will also construct or set up an immigration check post. So, do you have some specific plan on how India will help in the (inaudible) investor?

Shubhendu Ghosh, DD India:Sir, I am Shubhendu Ghosh from DD India. Prime Minister spoke about how connectivity represents opportunity and prosperity. There is a lot of anticipation around rail link between the two countries. What was discussed between the leaders in this meeting?

Unidentified Speaker: Good evening, Your Excellency. Since P2, Punatsangchhu II hydroelectric project has been inaugurated officially today … so what is the tariff rate decided between Bhutan and India about P2?

Shri Sandeep Arya, Ambassador of India to Bhutan: So, the question on the Gelephu Mindfulness City. So, I think as you are aware of … I think it is a vision of His Majesty the King of Bhutan and it is a project in the making. It is kind of evolving.

The formal announcements were done around last year, etc. And as His Majesty the King also mentions, it is a little more medium-term, long-term project. So, we have been in touch, both Government of India and Government of Bhutan at various levels, at official levels at the level of leaders in terms of understanding that vision, and trying to look at how and what are the ways in which it can be contributed? So, the Prime Minister of India mentioned today about the decision on establishing…

So, right now between India and Bhutan, the movement is fairly streamlined. So, this immigration check post will enable, as the Prime Minister mentioned, visitors, those who may be coming for various purposes and also for investors or businesses to come. So, we have, as you know, in the main international airport in Bhutan is in Paro.

So, it really provides access in that sense for people travelling, coming from all over the world for the Gelephu Mindfulness City … coming to, say, Guwahati airport, the nearby airport, and from there being able to cross over and reach Gelephu through a faster, shorter, expedited manner. So, the announcement today was an effort to facilitate that easier access for businesses and other travellers, tourists and everybody else who would like to come. So, it's a small step in that direction.

And I think related to that is also the kind of railway connectivity project. So, that also in a way links to Gelephu, because the 69 kilometre railway line from Gelephu to Kokrajhar, which will be built over the coming years. So, that also is another level of connectivity which it provides to Gelephu. So, I think as the vision develops and as the progress takes place, I am sure this relationship and this close consultation at official and senior leaders level on Gelephu will unfold into greater cooperation, greater contribution and perhaps helping in realising the vision of the Gelephu Mindfulness City of His Majesty the King.

Shri Munu Mahawar, Additional Secretary (North): So, as Ambassador mentioned, rail links are part of our efforts to enhance connectivity between India and Bhutan. And we've taken a number of measures.

We have strengthened road connectivity. We have established immigration checkposts and integrated checkposts like the one in Dharangaon. We have set up an inland waterways terminal in Jogighopa, which is also near Gelephu. And the two rail links that we are going to establish, connecting Banarhat in West Bengal to Samtse, and Kokrajhar in Assam to Gelephu.

This is a mega project. It will cost over 4000 crore. This will establish for the first time rail connectivity for Bhutan. It will provide access to vast Indian rail network and it will enable Bhutan to export easily, access the vast Indian market and even beyond through these rail links.

During the Royal Audience, His Majesty conveyed his deep appreciation for this project to Prime Minister. This project is going to be fully funded by Government of India. And Prime Minister assured His Majesty that he has given very clear direction to the officials to ensure its timely implementation. We have already constituted joint project steering committee, which is going to hold its first meeting very soon. And it will be our endeavour to complete this project as per the agreed timeline.

As regards Punatsangchhu II project, again, this is a major milestone in the realization of the energy partnership vision which was presented during Prime Minister's last visit. This project is fully functional. In fact, the energy supply to India has already commenced. We have also reached an understanding on tariff. But there are certain steps to formalize that. As and when the tariff will be formalized, it will be announced and made known to the general public.

But this project is a shining symbol of our vibrant partnership. Thank you.

Nikhil Singh, DD News: Main Nikhil Singh, DD News se. Sir, mein yeh jaana chahta hun ki yeh jo P2 project ke udghatan se kis tarah se Bharat aur Bhutan ke beech mein jo urja ranneeti hai aur jo bijli niryat hai isko lekar ke koi thos isme parivartan dekhne ko mil sakta hai? aur khas taur par Bhutan ke arthik kshmta aur sansthagat kshmta nirman ke vishesh sandarbh mein.

[Approximate Translation: Question in Hindi] I am Nikhil Singh from DD News. Sir, I would like to know-following the inauguration of the Punatsangchhu-II project, how do you see this influencing the energy diplomacy between India and Bhutan, particularly in terms of electricity exports? And in this context, what concrete impact do you foresee on Bhutan's economic capacity and its institutional capacity building?

Unidentified Speaker, BBS:Hello I'm reporter from BBS, Bhutan Broadcasting Service. So I have two questions. First one is regarding the MOU signed with India regarding health. So there are lots of aspects that was mentioned like drug diagnostics and also the research that was mentioned by you. So regarding that, is there like a priority right now that India has in mind on what is the first health aspects that India wants to work with Bhutan? Maybe details on what the first one will be.

And secondly, as you know that Bhutan is right now under their 13th five-year plan. For that, what other big projects can we expect as a country with India now?

Shri Sandeep Arya, Ambassador of India to Bhutan: So, the 13th five-year plan is, I think Prime Minister has mentioned, it is a commitment of 100 billion ngultrum, which he had also announced when he had come here in March of 2024. So I think this is at the implementation stage and 13th five-year plan contributions have four components. There are projects of different kinds and these projects are under implementation in various parts of Bhutan. So these are in very, very wide ranging areas from road construction, healthcare facilities, educational facilities, the financial facilities.

The second aspect is what we call high impact community development projects. So these projects, there are about 570 projects spread across, I mean, perhaps every possible area you can imagine. These are small scale community level projects which are also very, very effective.

So, the implementation of the India's support for the 13th five-year plan, which is from 2024 to 2029, was touched upon by the leaders during the discussion. There is a lot of, I think, appreciation for the fact that India is extending that support and the kind of contribution it is making. And I think there is a lot of satisfaction with the implementation and the pace at which various projects in different areas are being implemented, including something called economic stimulus program in Bhutan. So that is that.

On health, maybe also I can just briefly mention. The health care MOU is more like a facilitating document. So, the MOU provides for formation of a joint working group, which may be led at a mutually agreed level between the Ministry of Health of Bhutan and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of India. And they have identified these 7-8 broad areas which I mentioned.

So, at some stage soon either through a virtual meeting or physical meeting between the two senior officials from both sides, they will identify what projects will be taken up. Because, as we have mentioned in the previous remarks from the additional secretary, that it is basically mutually agreed. And we also respect a lot about priorities of the Royal Government of Bhutan and Bhutan as a country.

So, they will identify that, okay, is it in terms of capacity building of people, like personnel, etc., their education, training, skill building, etc., or whether they will be in the field of pharmaceutical regulations or diagnostic capacities, etc., or it is digital health, or it is disease prevention and disease treatment in specific areas like cardiovascular, cancer, mental health, etc., which have been agreed, or it is traditional medicine or biotechnology. So that will be a process which will unfold now after the signing of the MOU today.

Shri Munu Mahawar, Additional Secretary (North): Jaha tak aap ka prashna hai hamari urja ki kshetra mein aapasi sahayog ka. Toh hamara sahayog ek tarah se pure kshetra aur pure vishwa ke liye ek model hai. Yeh bahut hi safal sahayog raha hai. Aur iske tehat ab tak hum paanch project complete kar chuke hai Punatsangchhu-II ko mila kar. Aur Punatsangchhu-II akele hi Bhutan ki energy generation capacity mein 40% ki vridhdhi karega. Prime Minister ne bhi apne bhashan mein iska jikra kiya tha.

Bhutan ka pramuk niryat jo Bharat ko hai woh electricity export hai. In fact, Bhutan ke pore export ka 30% lagbag Bharat ko energy export se aata hai. Aur iske alawa jab Bhutan mein lean season mein urja generation mein kami hoti hai toh Bharat se bhi urja ki supply hoti hai. Toh ye ek bahut hi achcha sahayog hai aapasi sahayog hai.

Punatsangchhu-II ke alawa aaj humne ek aur mahatwapurn ghoshana Prime Minister ne ki. Humari aapasi sahamati ho gayi hai ki kis tarah se Punatsangchhu-I jo kuch samay se rukha hua tha, kaafi samay se rukha hua tha, usko bhi ab complete kiya jayega. Toh ab humara sayuk prayas yahi hoga ki us project ko bhi hum jald se jald pura kare.

Iske alawa urja ki kshetra mein aur bhi naya aayam joda rahe. Abhi tak humara jo cooperation tha woh do sarkaron ke bheech mein, government to government tha. Ab bahut sari Bharatiya companiya pehal kar rahi hai aur, Bhutan ki hydropower policy ke tahat projects implement kar rahi hai aur isme se kuch projects mein kaam shuru bhi ho gaya hai. Toh kul milake humein lagta hai ki humara cooperation is kshetra mein aur badega aur jo joint vision for energy partnership pichale varsh Bharat aur Bhutan ne leadership level pe release kiya uska realization sahi samay par hua. Dhanyawad.

[Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi] As far as your question on our energy cooperation is concerned, I would like to emphasize that our partnership serves as a model not only for this region but for the entire world. It has been a highly successful collaboration. Together, we have completed five major projects so far, including the Punatsangchhu-II project. Punatsangchhu-II alone will enhance Bhutan's power generation capacity by nearly 40%. The Hon'ble Prime Minister also highlighted this achievement in his address.

Electricity remains Bhutan's primary export to India, and in fact, almost 30% of Bhutan's total exports come from energy exports to India. Additionally, during the lean season, when power generation in Bhutan dips, India supplies electricity to Bhutan. This reflects a strong and mutually beneficial partnership.

Along with Punatsangchhu-II, we also made another significant announcement today. We have reached an agreement on the way forward to complete the Punatsangchhu-I project, which had been stalled for quite some time. Our shared objective now is to ensure the swift completion of that project as well.

Beyond this, our energy cooperation is expanding into new areas. Until now, our collaboration was largely government-to-government. Today, many Indian companies have taken the initiative and are implementing projects under Bhutan's hydropower policy. Work has already begun on some of these projects. Overall, we are confident that our cooperation in the energy sector will continue to grow, and the joint vision for energy partnership announced by the leadership of India and Bhutan last year is now being realized in a timely manner. Thank you.

Shri Sandeep Arya, Ambassador of India to Bhutan: For the question on electricity trade … and also there is something called Electricity Exchange of India. And there are even other projects apart from these intergovernmental projects. There is lot of trading happening continuously. So, there are several power trading companies in India to get talking to the Bhutanese, either in DGPC, the Druk Green Energy Power Corporation and through others. So there is lot of trade which happens based on the demand and supply.

So I think this partnership, one is it has this dimension of contributing to energy security of each other. When there is demand in Bhutan, the power can be bought from India and similarly from Bhutan when there is surplus power, especially at the time when it is in need in India. I think that complementarity fits in very, very well and is very productive.

It also, I think, in terms of volume, contributes a lot. So, I think this energy partnership have apart from hydropower projects, the electricity trade and now solar energy and MOU and renewable energy … so it is a very, very wide ranging thing. It is reaching new dimensions. There are transmission lines being built between the two countries. And it is really a very solid partnership, which is of mutual benefit, and is I think contributing to the relationship in a very big way. Thank you.

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Thank you. With this, we come to the end of this press briefing. We shall keep you updated with more developments on the state visit. Thank you very much.

Thimphu
November 11, 2025