External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will pay an official visit to Bhutan from September 16-17, during which he will hold talks with the country’s top leadership as part of India’s efforts to further strengthen the close ties of friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
During the visit, Jaishankar is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Bhutanese Foreign Affairs and External Trade Minister Lyonpo D.N. Dhungyel and call on Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
“The visit is in keeping with the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between India and Bhutan, and to further strengthen the existing close ties of friendship and cooperation between the two countries,” the MEA said.
The visit comes amid sustained high-level engagement between the two countries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a State Visit to Bhutan in November 2025, during which he and the Bhutanese King jointly inaugurated the 1,020 MW Punatsangchhu-II hydropower project. Agreements in renewable energy and health were also concluded during the visit.
The Bhutanese King visited India twice in 2025, including a visit to Assam in April, while Prime Minister Tobgay visited New Delhi in February 2026 for the AI Impact Summit and held talks with PM Modi. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri also visited Bhutan in July this year for the India-Bhutan Development Cooperation Talks.
Jaishankar had earlier visited Bhutan in June 2019, his first overseas visit after assuming office as External Affairs Minister, and again in April 2022.
India has committed Rs 10,000 crore towards Bhutan’s 13th Five Year Plan, which runs from July 2024 to June 2029. The assistance includes support for 82 Project Tied Assistance projects and 572 High-Impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs), according to the Indian Embassy in Thimphu.
Trade and economic ties are another important pillar of the relationship. India is Bhutan’s largest trading partner, accounting for nearly 80 per cent of Bhutan’s total trade, according to the Ministry of Finance.
Bilateral trade between India and Bhutan exceeded $1.9 billion in FY 2024-25, registering growth of more than 46 per cent over the previous financial year, the ministry said.
The two countries have also been expanding cooperation beyond traditional areas into renewable energy, digital connectivity, health, education and emerging technologies.
