Nepal Highlights Growing Connectivity With India at ‘Purvodaya’ Conference

By A Staff Reporter

Kolkata: Emphasising India’s central role in regional connectivity, Nepal’s Ambassador to India, Shankar Prasad Sharma, on Friday highlighted the deepening economic, energy and digital links between the two neighbours, particularly with eastern India.

Speaking at the international conference ‘Purvodaya’, Sharma said Nepal enjoys strong connectivity with the eastern part of India, noting that Kolkata and Haldia ports serve as the primary gateways for Nepal’s transit trade. He said these ports are crucial for Nepal’s access to global markets and reflect India’s importance in facilitating Nepal’s external trade.

The ambassador said Nepal has recently begun exporting electricity to India, marking a significant milestone in bilateral energy cooperation. He added that Nepal is developing transmission lines in both western and eastern regions, with plans to link these networks to the broader BIMSTEC region through India. Sharma also pointed out that Nepal has started exporting electricity to Bangladesh using transmission infrastructure built between India and Nepal, underlining India’s role as a key regional energy corridor.

On digital connectivity, Sharma said cross-border digital links between India and Nepal have been initiated recently and are expected to expand across eastern India, South Asia and Southeast Asia, further strengthening regional integration.