KATHMANDU: Nepal’s Minister for Energy, Water Resources, Irrigation, Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Kulman Ghising, met with India’s Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in New Delhi on the sidelines of the 8th Assembly of the International Solar Alliance, the Minister’s Secretariat said.
The discussions at India’s Ministry of Power focused on bilateral energy cooperation, electricity trade, expansion of transmission lines, progress on Nepal’s hydropower projects with Indian investment, and long-term energy partnership between the two countries.
During the meeting, Nepal and India signed shareholder and joint venture agreements to construct two cross-border transmission lines: Inneruwa–Purnia and Lamki–Dodhara–Bareli 400 kV lines. The agreements were signed by Subhash Kumar Mishra, Deputy Executive Director of Nepal Electricity Authority, and Sanjay Kumar Gupta, Chief Operating Officer of Power Grid Corporation of India Limited, in the presence of Ministers Ghising and Khattar.
With the signing of the joint venture agreements, both Nepal Electricity Authority and Power Grid Corporation are now positioned to establish companies for the construction of these transmission lines. Minister Ghising described the two projects as a significant milestone for bilateral and regional electricity trade. He said that building the cross-border lines will provide a foundation for exporting Nepal’s electricity to regional and international markets.
Ghising also highlighted that the agreements would support the development and expansion of Nepal’s hydropower sector and help attract domestic and foreign investment.
Indian Power Minister Khattar noted that completing the two cross-border lines would facilitate smoother electricity exchange between Nepal and India, strengthen the grid, enhance regional energy security, and contribute to economic growth in both countries.
The agreements follow the Cabinet’s approval on Ashoj 30 to establish two joint companies with equity investments from both Nepal Electricity Authority and Power Grid Corporation for the construction of the transmission lines.
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