Why India is betting big time on Nepal
PM MODI OLI
India, strategically, carves out a plan to get in good books of Nepal while silently competing with China
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a two-day trip to Nepal, a visit that aims at resetting and strengthening India-Nepal ties. PM Modi is expected to push for development projects between both the nations while discussing a range of regional and bilateral issues with his Nepalese counterpart.
India's relationship with Nepal assumes great importance, the same is evident from the fact that this is PM Modi's third visit to the Himalayan nation in the last four years.
India seeks to launch a series of development projects with the neighbouring country in a bid to strengthen ties and boost cooperation in the wake of China making inroads into Nepal on the political and economic front.
Earlier today, PM Modi and Nepalese Prime Minister KP Oli launched the construction work of what will translate into the biggest hydroelectric project in Nepal.
New Delhi seeks to rebuild trust in the Himalayan republic by investing in the single biggest foreign investment project in the cash-strapped country. The 900 MW hydro-power project is expected to cost $1.04 billion and is being built by state-run Indian firm Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) Limited.
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
"Nepal prominently features in India's neighbour first policy. We assure that we will continue to stand with Nepal," Modi stated.
India, strategically, carves out a plan to get ingood books of Nepal while silently competing with China -- a country which, on the other hand, is pouring aid and investment into Nepali hospitals, roads and hydroelectric plants.
"The power plant will provide employment, economic and business opportunities to Nepal," Modi told reporters.
According to a Reuters report, the project moves fast just about when a Chinese proposal to build a 750 MW power plant in west Nepal faces a roadblock.
PM Modi faces heat over bringing ties with Nepal back to normal with a patchwork of ambitious projects aimed at winning Nepal's trust and faith.
"India-Nepal ties are historic. We are similar in many ways our strength, desires, aspirations are all same. Without Nepal India's faith, history is incomplete," Modi noted.
(With inputs from Reuters)