The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will help Bhutan set up a ground station that will enable the mountain kingdom to establish services like tele-medicine and disaster relief in rural areas. This was one of the major takeaways from the visit of the new Bhutanese Prime Minister, Lotay Tshering, on his first international visit after resuming charge. Traditionally, Bhutanese heads of state make their first foreign call to India. Prime minister Narendra Modi reminded Tshering that he, too, had chosen Thimphu for his first international visit as prime minister.
Bhutan is already availing the services of the south Asian Satellite that ISRO launched in 2017, for the use of the countries in the sub-continent. India will also extend a grant of Rs 4,500 crore to help Bhutan with its 12th Five Year Plan.
The two leaders reviewed hydro projects, their biggest sector of partnership. India helped Bhutan build these plants, and imports power from them. Modi said he was glad that the Mangdechhu power project would be completed very soon. Work began on this 750 megawatt hydel project in central Bhutan, in 2012. Bhutan will also RuPay cards soon.
Tshering said that Bhutan had launched an initiative called “narrowing the gap”, with which they wanted to raise their standards vis-a-vis India. Modi said this vision was in sync with India's own sabka saath sabka vikas, and that India would be a committed and reliable partner in this venture.
