Nepal PM's pending India visit to take place 'soon'; details being worked out
By Vishu Adhana, Kathmandu, July 11
Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah's pending visit to India is expected to take place "very soon", with both sides currently working out the details, sources in Kathmandu told.
Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balen, has accepted an invitation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit New Delhi. However, the dates of the visit are yet to be finalised.
"The visit will take place very soon. We are discussing all aspects of the visit, but nothing has been finalised so far," the sources told ANI.
When asked about the agenda, the sources declined to comment, saying discussions on the visit are still underway.
The visit would mark the Prime Minister's first trip to India since assuming office in March 2026. Notably, he has not visited either India or China since taking office, departing from the long-standing practice of newly appointed Nepali prime ministers making one of the two neighbours their first bilateral destination. Instead, Nepal's Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal undertook visits to both countries.
Last month, Foreign Minister Khanal visited India at the invitation of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
During the visit, the two sides reviewed the entire spectrum of India-Nepal relations, including development cooperation, connectivity, trade and transit, energy, and people-to-people ties.
Among the key outcomes of the visit, India handed over 72 health facilities and 12 cultural heritage projects completed under its post-2015 Earthquake Reconstruction Assistance programme.
The two sides also launched the cross-border linkage between India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Nepal's National Payments Interface (NPI) to facilitate personal remittances and witnessed the signing of an MoU between Digital India Bhashini and Kathmandu University for a voice-first language translation platform.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good to see India-Nepal relations moving forward after the foreign minister's visit. UPI integration is a huge step—it'll make remittances seamless for thousands of Nepali workers in India. Small gestures like these strengthen people-to-people ties more than big summits sometimes. Hope the PM's visit finalises the remaining details.
While cultural projects and UPI are welcome, I wish the article mentioned more substantive issues like the border disputes or Kalapani. These are long-standing irritants that need addressing. Balen is popular in Nepal partly because of his independent stance—let's see if Modi can leverage this visit to build real trust, not just photo ops. 🇮🇳🇳🇵
Interesting how Balen has avoided both India and China so far. Smart diplomacy actually—he's not giving either side leverage. But eventually, Nepal needs both neighbours for development. The 72 health facilities and heritage projects restored by India post-earthquake are good examples of partnership. Looking forward to more progress.
This delay in Balen's India visit is being overplayed by media. Nepal's foreign minister already visited and laid groundwork. Now the PM's visit will be more meaningful with concrete outcomes. What matters is what gets signed—not when he visits. Khushi baat hai ki UPI aur health infrastructure pe kaam hua hai. 😊
Nepal balancing act: too much India tilt angers China, too much China tilt makes India nervous. Balen seems to be playing it safe by not choosing sides early. The UPI-NPI link is
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