Bhutan

The World Bank has approved funding support for a hydropower project in Bhutan involving Tata Power, marking a significant boost to regional clean energy cooperation. The financing underscores global lenders’ confidence in cross-border renewable energy initiatives and Bhutan’s long-standing hydropower-led development model. The project is expected to enhance Bhutan’s generation capacity while reinforcing electricity trade with India, a key export market. For Tata Power, the backing strengthens its renewable portfolio and international footprint.

Indian Hotels Company Ltd. (IHCL), India’s largest hospitality group, has deepened its presence in the Himalayan region with the launch of Taj Paro Resort & Spa in Bhutan. The development underscores IHCL’s long-term strategy of expanding in high-value leisure destinations that align with premium tourism trends. Situated in Paro Valley, the new resort blends luxury hospitality with Bhutan’s cultural and environmental ethos.

Tata Power has been selected to develop the ambitious 1,125 MW Dorjilung hydropower project in Bhutan, a move that reinforces the deep-rooted energy partnership between India and Bhutan. The project is poised to expand Bhutan’s hydropower capacity while supplying India with clean, reliable electricity to support its rapidly growing energy demand. As both countries intensify their focus on sustainable power generation, Dorjilung emerges as a strategically significant asset.

Reliance Power has formalized a commercial term sheet with Bhutan-based Green Digital Pvt Ltd—owned by Druk Holding and Investments Ltd (DHI), the sovereign investment arm of the Royal Government of Bhutan—for a landmark renewable energy project. The 500 MW solar venture, jointly developed on a 50:50 basis, represents Bhutan’s largest solar energy initiative and the most significant private-sector foreign direct investment (FDI) in its solar sector to date. With a projected outlay of up to Rs.

In a significant move to bolster regional energy security and promote sustainable development, the Adani Group has entered into a partnership with Druk Green Power Corporation (DGPC) of Bhutan to jointly develop hydropower projects with a combined capacity of 5,000 MW. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aims to tap into Bhutan’s abundant hydropower potential, enhancing cross-border collaboration and facilitating the export of green energy to India.

In a significant diplomatic and economic development, Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk visited Assam’s Bongaigaon district to review key infrastructure projects aimed at boosting regional connectivity. The King inspected the under-construction international multimodal logistics park and the newly inaugurated inland water transport (IWT) terminal at Jogighopa, situated near the India-Bhutan border. These projects, under India’s Bharatmala initiative, are envisioned to be pivotal trade corridors for Bhutan and Northeast India.

Indian beer manufacturers are calling on the Delhi government to address what they see as an unfair advantage granted to beer imports from Bhutan and Nepal. These imports enjoy lower excise duties compared to domestic beers, putting local brewers at a significant disadvantage. The Brewers Association of India (BAI) has highlighted this disparity in a formal appeal, suggesting that it undermines the "Make in India" initiative, encourages tax evasion, and creates an uneven playing field in the Delhi beer market.

India’s Agriculture Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, is set to attend the third BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture in Nepal on April 9, which is expected to provide a significant platform for fostering agricultural cooperation in the Bay of Bengal region. This high-level meeting will bring together key figures from the agricultural sectors of seven countries—Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand—to discuss progress and new initiatives aimed at strengthening collaboration.