At the 30th annual general meeting of the Nepal-India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NICCI), Nepal’s Minister of Energy and Water Resources, Deepak Khadka, discussed the country’s plan to reduce its trade deficit with India by boosting green energy exports. He outlined the critical role NICCI could play in attracting Indian investment and technical expertise, which are essential for meeting Nepal’s goal of exporting 10,000 MW of electricity to India.

Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Navin Shrivastav, highlighted the close economic partnership between the two nations, noting that India remains Nepal’s largest development and trade partner. He pointed out that Nepal’s hydroelectric power trade will play a key role in balancing the trade gap. The recent introduction of digital payment systems in Nepal is also expected to increase Indian tourist inflows, further enhancing economic cooperation.

Sunil KC, the newly elected president of NICCI, shared plans to host a Nepal-India Investment Summit every two years and proposed the creation of a Nepal Innovation Centre in India to nurture startups and entrepreneurship.

Sweta Singh (Kathmandu)