India and Nepal reviewed a wide range of trade, transit and connectivity issues during the meeting of the India-Nepal Inter-Governmental Sub-Committee (IGSC) on Trade, Transit and Cooperation to Control Unauthorised Trade, held in New Delhi on September 16–17.
The Indian delegation was led by Joint Secretary in the Department of Commerce Ujjwal Kumar Ghosh, while the Nepali delegation was headed by Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies Buddha Bahadur Gurung. Senior officials from both countries participated in the discussions.
The IGSC, an institutional mechanism for examining detailed trade-related matters, discussed market access, Customs and trade facilitation, standards, food safety, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, AYUSH products and phytosanitary requirements.
Both sides considered measures to expand market access for products from India and Nepal, including agricultural and dairy products, food items and healthcare-related goods. They also discussed strengthening Customs cooperation through pre-arrival information exchange, electronic verification of Certificates of Origin, automation and digitalisation.
Transit and connectivity featured prominently in the discussions, with officials reviewing rail and road links, freight movement, Integrated Check Posts and land-port infrastructure. Measures to improve utilisation of existing infrastructure and address operational bottlenecks were also considered.
The two sides reaffirmed cooperation in standards, food safety, plant quarantine and conformity assessment, including capacity-building initiatives. They also emphasised coordination among relevant agencies to facilitate legitimate cross-border trade and address unauthorised trade and commercial fraud.
The meeting was held in a cordial and constructive atmosphere, with both sides agreeing to maintain engagement through established mechanisms and undertake time-bound follow-up on issues requiring further technical examination.
India and Nepal share close historical, cultural and economic ties, with India being Nepal’s largest trading partner and an important source of investment.
