India and Nepal hold talks on trade, transit, and disaster recovery

India and Nepal are working to deepen economic and diplomatic ties through high-level meetings in New Delhi. The India-Nepal Inter-Governmental Sub-Committee (IGSC) met to review trade, transit, and connectivity issues. Key discussions included market access for agricultural, dairy, and pharmaceutical products, as well as strengthening Customs cooperation through digitalization and electronic verification.

Simultaneously, Nepal’s Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle is conducting a three-day official visit to India. During his visit, Wagle met with Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to discuss post-disaster reconstruction following recent floods in Nepal. The talks emphasized India’s support for Nepal’s recovery efforts and explored expanding cooperation in energy, specifically regarding Nepal’s hydropower potential and cross-border power trade.

Additional discussions focused on improving rail and road connectivity, land-port infrastructure, and addressing operational bottlenecks in freight movement to facilitate smoother bilateral trade.