India’s Union Minister of Power and Housing and Urban Affairs visited Nepal and reviewed key bilateral energy initiatives for enhancing regional connectivity and sustainable power development. He visited the Arun-3 project which is viewed as a significant pillar of India-Nepal partnership in the hydropower sector. During the visit, a MoU was signed between India’s POWERGRID and the Nepal Electricity Authority paving the way for the implementation of high-capacity cross-border transmission infrastructure which will further strengthen energy cooperation between the two countries as well as foster energy security, grid stability and economic growth across the region.
India and Nepal bilateral relations are long-standing and multifaceted. Besides, energy cooperation both countries cooperate in areas such as defence, economic and commercial, infrastructure, connectivity and development partnership, etc. Nepal's trade with India constituted approximately 64.13 per cent of its total trade volume during 2022-23, making India as Nepal's largest trading partner. India and Nepal ties during emergencies and crises have demonstrated depth and resilience. After the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, India through Operation Maitri conducted rescue and relief operations, humanitarian aid, medical support and infrastructure assistance. During COVID-19 pandemic, India provided medical supplies, vaccines, oxygen support as well as a medical team to combat the health crisis in Nepal. Additionally, India's partnership with Nepal also focuses on education and capacity building.
Under the ITEC programme, more than 2500 Nepali received training during 2001-2024. Besides these, there are several scholarships for citizens of Nepal and academic collaborations between institutions of both countries. These capacity building initiatives, exchanges, networks and development cooperation, etc. underline greater focus on India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, and indicates that Nepal continues to be a significant partner. Further, Sampark (India-Nepal Alumni Network) was officially launched in 2021 to provide a platform for alumni to share knowledge, skill and expertise of the alumni to contribute to the development of different sectors of Nepal as well as share experience, collaborate and leverage collective expertise for mutual benefits. Thus, further strengthening bilateral ties through people-to-people connections.
Besides these recent developments, India and Nepal share long and deep rooted historical, cultural and civilizational connections which dates back to ancient times. Alongside shared heritage, close people-to-people ties, there are regional, language and cultural commonalities. They also share a long border and geographical features, including the Himalayas. In 1950, the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the Government of India and the Government of Nepal was signed, mutually acknowledging each other’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence.
The relationship between India's Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) focusing on joint research and technological development dates back to 1994. This has been renewed and expanded through a MoU signed in February 2025 to foster innovation, technology sharing, knowledge exchange and deeper scientific ties in biological sciences, drug discovery, water and environmental technologies, fuel, alternative energy, etc. India and Nepal partnership in science and technology continues to evolve. Additionally, the community-based flood early warning systems along the Indo-Nepal border in the terai region, through ICT provide real time data on water levels, resulting in cross border flood resilience. Given the growing instances of cloud bursts, floods, glacial lake outbursts in the Himalayan region, joint research, integrated disaster risk management, knowledge exchange, data-sharing and capacity building can enhance help in tackling Himalayan environmental challenges as well as enhance preparedness and response to natural disasters and sustainable development in the region. Knowledge and technology sharing can help India and Nepal's national priorities and shared regional challenges, particularly the fragile Himalayan ecosystem. However, Himalayan region governance requires concerted efforts by the other countries of the region. In this direction, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) plays a key role in promoting regional cooperation and diplomacy and providing expertise, capacity building and knowledge sharing in the Himalayan region. But, its effectiveness is constrained by the geopolitics and complexities of the region. Despite such challenges, the South Asia Satellite also known as GSAT-9 was launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation in 2017. It has enhanced regional connectivity, and disaster management. Space and satellite cooperation, collaboration in forest management and biodiversity conservation, renewable energy and hydropower, solar and wind energy, agriculture and food security, health and biotechnology are some of the key areas of collaboration between the two countries.