Overview
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck jointly inaugurated the 1,020 MW Punatsangchhu-II project, lifting Bhutan’s power capacity by about 40%.
- Both countries agreed to resume work on the main dam of the 1,200 MW Punatsangchhu-I hydropower project after years of delays.
- India announced a Rs 4,000-crore line of credit, approved an immigration check post at Hatisar across Gelephu, and granted land in Varanasi for a Bhutanese temple and guesthouse.
- Modi flagged progress toward the first India–Bhutan rail links—Kokrajhar–Gelephu and Banarhat–Samtse—to expand market access and connectivity.
- Talks with Bhutan’s leadership spanned energy, connectivity, technology, defence and security, as Modi also joined the Global Peace Prayer Festival and the fourth king’s 70th birthday events.