India and Bhutan widen development ties with Rs 4,000 crore credit

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India and Bhutan reviewed New Delhi-backed projects and signed a Rs 4,000 crore credit deal. The talks widened cooperation through a health pact and support for Bhutan's green mobility push.

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India Today World Desk

Thimphu,UPDATED: Jul 31, 2026 09:42 IST

India and Bhutan on Thursday reviewed the progress of New Delhi-backed development projects in the Himalayan nation during high-level talks, while also expanding cooperation through a Rs 4,000 crore concessional line of credit and a new partnership in the health sector.

The fifth India-Bhutan Development Cooperation Talks, co-chaired by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and his Bhutanese counterpart Dasho Pema Lektup Dorji, focused on the implementation of projects under Bhutan's 13th Five-Year Plan, according to the Indian Embassy in Bhutan.

The two sides reviewed the progress and implementation of India-supported projects across a range of sectors. Bhutan appreciated India's significant support and its contribution to the country's socio-economic development, the embassy said in a social media post.

During the talks, the two foreign secretaries also virtually inaugurated the Thimphu Ecological Park and the Olakha Park, developed under the "Green Infrastructure and Open Spaces in Thimphu" project funded by India as part of bilateral economic development.

An agreement for a concessional line of credit worth Rs 4,000 crore, or Nu 40 billion, was exchanged between the Export-Import Bank of India and Bhutan's Ministry of Finance to support development initiatives in the country. The two sides also exchanged a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in health education and research between the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and Bhutan's Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences.

As part of India's support for Bhutan's green mobility initiatives, 45 electric vehicles were handed over to the Royal Government of Bhutan. India remains Bhutan's largest development partner and has for decades extended financial and technical assistance for infrastructure, connectivity, education, health and capacity-building projects. New Delhi has also committed support for Bhutan's 13th Five-Year Plan as part of its longstanding development partnership with the neighbouring Himalayan kingdom.

With PTI Inputs

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India Today Web Desk

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Jul 31, 2026 09:42 IST

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