PHDCCI hosts Gelephu Roadshow 2025 in Kolkata, India to attract investment for Mindfulness City

KATHMANDU: PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) hosted the Gelephu Roadshow 2025 in Kolkata, India, under the aegis of its India–Nepal Centre, attracting industry leaders, investors and diplomats from India and Bhutan.

Titled ‘Where Mindfulness Meets the Future: Connecting India and Bhutan for Sustainable Development and Global Cooperation’, the event aimed to secure institutional collaborations and private-sector investment for the Gelephu Mindfulness City project.

Kinley P Dorji, Communication Lead for the Gelephu Mindfulness City Authority, and Ugyen Tenzin, CEO of DK Bank, outlined opportunities in specialised infrastructure, sustainable tourism, wellness, education and spiritualism.

Sessions were moderated by Atul K Thakur, Secretary of the India–Nepal Centre at PHDCCI. Other speakers included representatives from Visa Inc, Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Export–Import Bank of India, World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies, IIM Calcutta, Eurasia Review and Wow Momo.

Gelephu, on the India–Bhutan border, has traditionally served shipping and trade but is now being repositioned as a hub of knowledge, technology and finance under the ‘Zero Carbon City’ and ‘Gelephu Mindfulness City’ initiatives. The town lies 41 km from Kajalgaon in India’s Chirang district, 50 km from Bongaigaon and 340 km from Siliguri.

Since the project’s announcement in December 2023, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck has made two visits to India to seek partnerships in hospitality, education, IT and wellness.

Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay said, ‘Gelephu embodies the co-operative spirit, as every citizen of Bhutan is both a shareholder and a stakeholder in this significant initiative.’

The Gelephu Roadshow is expected to accelerate funding and expertise flows into Bhutan’s city-development programme, laying the groundwork for long-term economic growth and sustainable urbanisation.