May 2026
The signing of the $515 million financing agreement between the Government of Bhutan and the World Bank for the 1,125 MW Dorjilung Hydroelectric Power Project advances the region's clean energy generation and is set to boost renewable energy trade with roughly 80% of its output destined for India.
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April 2026
The Governments of Bhutan and India reaffirmed their commitment to seamless cross-border trade and modernized border management at the two-day customs dialogue held in April 2026, in Munnar, Kerala, India. Discussions at the 7th Joint Group of Customs (JGC) Meeting included Coordinated Border Management, a proposed Memorandum of Understanding on pre-arrival exchange of customs data, digital customs processes, and updates on the Electronic Cargo Tracking System.
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April 2026
India Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan visited Sri Lanka on 19-20 April 2026, meeting President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Both sides committed to deepening cooperation in economy, education, health, tourism, investment, and trade, with special emphasis on energy security and port development.
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Tags: Energy, India, Sri Lanka, Tourism, Trade, Transport
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March 2026
Ms. Afroza Khanam, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister of the Government of Bangladesh, and Mr. Ghanshyam Bhandari, Nepal Ambassador to Bangladesh, discussed deepening cooperation in aviation, tourism, and trade, in their meeting on 29 March 2026. They discussed their shared commitment to explore upgrading Bangladesh’s Syedpur Airport and strategies to make airfares more affordable on the Dhaka (Bangladesh)-Kathmandu (Nepal) route.
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Tags: Bangladesh, Nepal, Transport
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March 2026
The SASEC Subgroup on Customs held a field visit to the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone in the Philippines to study integrated customs operations and economic zone management. Senior customs officials from SASEC countries conducted the visit, hosted by the Philippines Bureau of Customs, Port of Clark, to examine operational practices in an active aviation area and special economic zone.
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Tags: ADB, Customs, Economic zone, ICT, SASEC
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March 2026
The civil aviation authorities of Bhutan and Sri Lanka held a bilateral meeting to explore closer cooperation in the aviation sector. The Bhutanese delegation presented proposals to enhance international scheduled passenger operations between the two countries and discussed expanding aviation training opportunities in Sri Lanka for Bhutanese students. Sri Lanka requested Bhutan to submit a formal proposal toward establishing an Air Services Agreement between the two nations.
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Tags: Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Transport
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March 2026
The Governments of Bhutan and Bangladesh held their 10th Commerce Secretary Level Meeting on 9-10 March 2026 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The agenda included cooperation under tourism, trade facilitation, and agriculture, as well as increasing private sector collaboration and consideration of,the proposal to add products under the Preferential Trade Agreement 2020 to further enhance bilateral trade and explore the possibility of a Free Trade Agreement.
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March 2026
Transport corridors have evolved from trade routes into economic and industrial corridors that combine infrastructure investment with policy reform, institutional strengthening, and private sector development. In India, ADB’s Subprograms 1 and 2 of the Industrial Corridor Development Program policy-based loan have supported the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme. This article appears on the Development Asia website.
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Tags: India, manufacturing, Trade, Transport
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February 2026
The Government of Bangladesh's Planning Commission is finalizing a multimodal transport roadmap that reduces the country's logistics strategy from road dependency. Currently, roads handle 80% of national transport demand. The aim is to move toward a more multimodal network to reduce logistics costs, improve safety, and build regional connectivity.
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Tags: Bangladesh, Transport
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February 2026
The Government of India’s Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of India to the World Trade Organization (WTO), showcased key achievements in Trade Facilitation Agreement compliance and policy implementation, digital customs infrastructure, and capacity building on the sidelines of the WTO Committee on Trade Facilitation meeting in February 2026.
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Tags: India, Trade Facilitation
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February 2026
Mr. Amrit Bahadur Rai, Nepal Foreign Secretary and Chairperson of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Standing Committee, underscored the importance of regional cooperation to bridge the gap between national priorities and international processes, helping ensure mutual benefits and stability within South Asia, during the 62nd meeting of the SAARC Program Committee.
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Tags: Nepal, Regional Cooperation, SAARC
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February 2026
The construction of Kokrajhar-Gelephu railway link is set to begin in the first quarter of 2027 and is expected to enhance connectivity between India and Bhutan. The project is funded by the Government of India and will be Bhutan’s first link to India's vast rail network.
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Tags: Bhutan, India, Rail, Trade, Transport
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February 2026
Lyonpo Gem Tshering, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of the Royal Government of Bhutan, Mr. Manohar Lal, Union Minister of Power, and Mr. Shripad Naik, Minister of State for Power, of the Government of India, held high-level ministerial talks on 3 February 2026 to review Bhutan and India's long-standing energy partnership. The discussions focused on deepening cooperation in hydropower development and cross-border transmission planning.
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Tags: Bhutan, Energy, Hydropower, India
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January 2026
The Governments of India and Nepal have signed a memorandum of understanding to exchange pre-arrival information on exported goods, aimed at facilitating trade and strengthening customs control between the two countries. The agreement was signed in New Delhi, India, on 21 January by It institutionalizes the advance sharing of export-related data between their customs administrations to support risk management, reduce clearance time, and ensure secure cross-border trade.
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Tags: India, Nepal, Trade Facilitation
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January 2026
Mr. Mohammad Abdur Rouf, Bridges Division secretary and Bangladesh Bridge Authority executive director visited Tangail and Sirajganj districts to inspect construction progress on the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Road Connection Project-2, which is upgrading the Elenga-Hatikumrul-Rangpur highway to four lanes. Mr. Rouf also visited the Jamuna Bridge, which is undergoing regular maintenance work.
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Tags: Asian Highway, Road, Road Transport, Roads, SASEC, Transport
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January 2026
The Governments of Bangladesh and Nepal held their Eighth Commerce Secretary Level Meeting in Dhaka, Bangladesh from 13-14 January 2026, to review the progress of bilateral trade and strengthen economic cooperation. In the meeting, both countries agreed to convene a Trade Negotiating Committee within three months to expedite negotiations on the Preferential Trade Agreement.
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Tags: Bangladesh, Nepal, Trade Facilitation
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January 2026
Road work is underway to upgrade Nepal’s East-West Highway to meet Asian Highway standards. The project is funded by the Asian Development Bank and the Government of Nepal and is being undertaken as part of the SASEC partnership. The Nepal Ministry for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Physical Infrastructure and Transport, and Urban Development is supervising construction, which has now reached 25% completion.
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Tags: ADB, Asian Highway, Nepal, Road, Road Transport, Roads, SASEC, Trade, Transport
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