Business leaders call for deeper economic ties at India-Nepal Economic Cooperation Forum 2026

GORAKHPUR, INDIA: Business leaders, bankers and policy experts from Nepal and India, meeting at the India-Nepal Economic Cooperation Forum 2026 recently held in Gorakhpur, called for concrete steps to deepen bilateral economic ties. They urged action on tourism, trade facilitation, investment in special economic zones (SEZs) and improved connectivity.

Delegates said the effective operation of Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) and full utilisation of Pokhara International Airport were essential to attract regular international flights and to support tourism, trade, hotels and investment in the Lumbini region. They also urged expansion of rail links to strengthen cross-border movement of people and goods.

Speaking at the forum, Tanka Prasad Pokharel, president of Nepal Chamber of Commerce Lumbini Province, highlighted the historic ties between the two countries and urged that those links be converted into economic gains through increased trade, investment and tourism. He said the open border, cultural proximity and religious connections created ample opportunities for cooperation.

Pokharel called for closer collaboration between tourism entrepreneurs and private sectors of both countries to develop Lumbini as a major international religious and cultural tourism hub. He added that a joint Buddhist tourism circuit linking Lumbini, Kushinagar, Bodhgaya and Sarnath could become a leading religious tourism destination in South Asia.

He also urged policy simplification and easier market access for small Nepali products in India, and recommended promotion of digital payments, artificial intelligence (AI) technology, border trade, organic products, Nepali coffee and Ayurveda to help address security challenges and market barriers.

On investment, Pokharel recommended policy reforms and an investment-friendly environment to attract Indian industries to the Bhairahawa SEZ, and proposed joint production and export promotion programmes that leveraged the industrial potential of border areas.

The forum’s round-table discussion underlined the need to strengthen the role of the private sector in elevating Nepal-India economic and trade cooperation. The event was organised in collaboration with the India-Nepal Centre, PHDCCI, and the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI). Atul Kumar Thakur, nodal coordinator at the India-Nepal Centre, delivered the inaugural speech and ICCI co-chair Kamlesh Jain gave the welcome address. Officials from the Nepali Embassy, Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and delegations from NCC Lumbini Province also took part in the round-table discussion.