India-Bhutan Relations

The article argues that as India and Bhutan have moved into the second phase of power cooperation, it is important that the two countries revisit their policies and identify approaches that will be sustainable in the long term. The article emphasises that a sub-regional energy grid between Bhutan, India and Bangladesh can become an effective conduit for strengthening sub-regional diplomacy and help in addressing the latent but underlying concerns of Bhutan, which have the potential to impact India–Bhutan bilateral relations in the long term.

• Medha Bisht
• September 2012
• Strategic Analysis

While loans, grants and lines of credit offer a solution to deal with immediate crises, it is important to gauge the long-term impact of such Indian policies on India-Bhutan relations.

• Medha Bisht
• July 16, 2012
• Issue Brief

With hydel cooperation emerging as an important pillar in India-Bhutan relationship, this Issue Brief examines the challenges and opportunities in this sector in the years to come.

• Medha Bisht
• October 07, 2011
• Issue Brief

Security and development cooperation have become the twin pillars of the India-Bhutan relationship.

• Medha Bisht
• December 30, 2010
• IDSA Comments

Shaping responses towards the issue of Chumbi Valley would perhaps require a penetrating understanding of the “reality” that defines China’s political trajectory in South Asia in coming years.

• Medha Bisht
• September 23, 2010
• IDSA Comments

The India–Bhutan relationship is perhaps the only bilateral engagement in South Asia, yielding high dividends to both parties. While Bhutan all through the years has appreciated India for its economic assistance, India, for its part, has been sensitive to Bhutan's developmental needs. The relationship has helped Bhutan shape a unique developmental trajectory based on gross national happiness. Bhutan's economy has grown substantially in recent years. However, the development cooperation between the two countries can be effectively divided into three significant waves.

• Medha Bisht
• May 2010
• Strategic Analysis

Indian insurgent groups are re-establishing camps in Bhutan and are also forging links with Bhutanese rebel groups.

• Balaji Chandramohan
• October 05, 2009
• IDSA Comments