India, Nepal Prepare for PM Balen Shah's Delhi Visit in November

India and Nepal are working towards scheduling a bilateral visit by Nepali Prime Minister Balen Shah in the second half of November, six months after his government took office. Shah had earlier indicated he would not travel abroad for at least a year.

Preparations for the visit were set in motion this week when Nepal's Finance Minister, Swarnim Wagle, met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Delhi. Jaishankar said the two sides discussed ways to deepen overall cooperation, with a focus on economic, energy and connectivity ties. Wagle's two-day trip was aimed at laying the groundwork for Shah's visit.

The two countries have agreed to prioritise cross-border connectivity and transmission infrastructure. Clean-energy cooperation is expected to be a central theme, with Nepal targeting 35,000 megawatts of capacity over the next nine years through run-of-river and storage projects. Kathmandu is also seeking expanded Indian investment in digitalisation, high-value agriculture, green manufacturing, tourism and production-sharing ventures.

Discussions also covered updating the bilateral trade treaty to bring services, investment protection, profit repatriation and the movement of parts and components within its ambit.

Wagle, the most experienced minister in the Nepali cabinet, also met key officials on economic cooperation, post-disaster reconstruction and economic recovery. This was the first bilateral engagement since the flash floods of August 26, making it an occasion to exchange notes on rescue and relief efforts. At least 270 Indians remain missing.

Officials noted a sense of goodwill following India's humanitarian assistance, which included about 95 tonnes of relief material and disaster supplies, as well as Baileys bridges.