India–Nepal Economic Partnership Summit held to boost bilateral economic cooperation

BIRGUNJ: To accelerate bilateral economic cooperation for shared prosperity, the PHDCCI India–Nepal Centre, in association with the Consulate General of India in Birgunj, the Nepal–India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NICCI) Birgunj Chapter and the NADA Automobile Association of Nepal, Madhesh Province, organised the India–Nepal Economic Partnership Summit 2025 in Birgunj, Parsa district, on Wednesday.

The summit was attended by industry leaders from India and Nepal, office-bearers of NICCI, BiCCI, FNCCI and NADA, and representatives of chambers from Bihar. The Consul General of India in Birgunj and the Vice-Chairman of the Madhesh Province Policy and Planning Commission were among the key speakers.

Delegates discussed sustainable industrial development in both countries, revisiting bilateral trade policies, expanding regional and sub-regional cooperation, and improving border-area connectivity by road, rail and air.

In his opening remarks, Atul K Thakur, Secretary of the India–Nepal Centre, PHDCCI, said substantial progress had been made in physical, digital, energy and people-to-people linkages. He highlighted the completed Integrated Check Post at the Raxaul–Birgunj border, advances on the Nepalgunj, Bhairahawa and Dodhara–Chandni ICPs, the inauguration of a freight train service, and work on the Kurtha–Bijalpura and Raxaul–Kathmandu rail lines. He added that Phase II of the Motihari–Amlekhgunj pipeline was under way, new petroleum pipelines from Siliguri to Jhapa and from Amlekhgunj to Chitwan were being built, and long-term power-trade agreements with Nepal and Bangladesh had been finalised. He noted that Nepal had accepted UPI payments since March 2024 through FonePay QR interoperability, and that the National Payments Corporation of India and Nepal Clearing House Limited were collaborating to smooth cross-border digital transactions.

Chief Guest and Keynote Speaker Devi Sahai Meena, Consul General of India in Birgunj, presented an overview of India–Nepal trade relations. He emphasised India’s economic progress and the benefits for Nepali businesses partnering with Indian firms. He said, “To further enhance bilateral economic cooperation and strengthen the base of Nepali businesses in India, the Summit is an important initiative that will help improve the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ between two friendly countries. India and Nepal share strong economic ties, and we will further enhance this relationship with improved connectivity and trade-transit facilities.”

Dr Sohan Prasad Sha, Vice-Chairman of the Madhesh Province Policy and Planning Commission, said, “India’s serious consideration of Nepal’s investment aspirations is essential for the real economic turnaround of the Nepalese economy. The Madhesh Province Government is doing all it can to increase economic gains in key sectors such as tourism, food processing and renewable energy. The Commission is adopting a data-centric policymaking approach to make informed decisions for the province’s development and to improve cross-border trade.”

Abhishek Choudhary, President of the NICCI Birgunj Chapter, said, “India and Nepal share more than just geography. We share history, culture and aspirations for a better future. Our economies are deeply interlinked, and when one grows, the other benefits. Today, we must look beyond trade balances and focus on creating win-win opportunities in manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, energy and digital trade.”

Indian firms account for 35 per cent of Nepal’s total FDI stock, worth nearly $777 million. Nepal is India’s 17th largest export destination, up from 28th in 2014, and India comprises about 64.1 per cent of Nepal’s total trade, amounting to $7.87 billion in the Indian financial year 2023–24. Exports from India to Nepal stood at $7.041 billion, while Nepal’s exports to India were $829.71 million. India is Nepal’s largest export market, receiving 67.9 per cent of total exports between mid-August 2023 and mid-July 2024. Nepal’s other major markets include the United States, Germany, Turkey, France, the UK, Australia, Italy, Japan and Canada. Nepal chiefly exports edible oil, coffee, tea and jute, and imports petroleum products, iron and steel, cereals, vehicles and parts, and machinery components. Around 150 Indian ventures operate in Nepal across manufacturing, services, power and tourism.

Other speakers included Ashok Temani, President of FNCCI Madhesh Province; Hari Gautam, President of Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Anil Kumar Agrawal, Immediate Past President of BiCCI; Suman Shrestha, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chitwan; Kedar Kumar Agrawal and Rahul Agarwal of the NADA Automobile Association of Nepal, Madhesh Province; Angad Singh of Motihari Chamber of Commerce; Ranjeet Karn, former Member of the Constituent Assembly; Bishwash Pratap Shah of NYEF (FNCCI) Birgunj Chapter; Deepak Rauniar of Oorja World; entrepreneurs Mahesh K Agrawal and Narayan P Homagai; Madhav Duwadi of Hotel Seven Star; Manish Anand of Mithila Naturals; Shiv Shankar Shah of Krupanidhi Group; Krishna Kumar and Diwakar Kumar of Patna-based construction firms; Niraj Agrawal of NICCI Birgunj and BiCCI; Bhumi Raj Dhungana of Berger Jenson & Nicholson; Rajendra Koirala of Gyanda Academy; and Mohan Sharma of Jeetpur Simra Chamber of Commerce.