Bhutan will build the Gelephu Smart City Project in the Gelephu Special Administrative Region to facilitate more foreign investment for the country.

The Akhaura-Agartala rail link marks an important milestone that promotes trade and people-to-people contact between India and Bangladesh. This is an excerpt of an article that appears on the ORF website.

ADB under the SASEC program has invested more than $15 billion in the priority sectors of transport, energy, trade facilitation, economic corridor development, and ICT as of 2020. To fully realize BBIN's potential, countries must also invest in regulatory reform in logistics services. This is an excerpt of an article that appears on the Tatsat Chronicle.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and India Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Akhaura-Agartala railway link during an online ceremony held virtually held on 1 November 2023. The rail link connects Bangladesh and the northeastern region of India through Tripura.

The passenger ferry service from Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, India, to Kankesanthurao, Jaffna, Sri Lanka, was inaugurated on 14 October 2023. It is expected to bring the two nations closer together and benefit local traders of both countries, boost tourism, and increase people-to-people relations.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate the Akhaura-Agartala rail line in September 2023. The railway will reduce travel time between Agartala and Kolkata from 31 hours to 10 hours, opening up opportunities for trade, tourism, and cultural exchange.

The Government of India plans to develop the Eastern Grid waterway with 5,000 km of navigable waterways, according to Mr. Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways. The Eastern Grid can potentially unlock multilateral trade worth $49 billion, boost regional integration, and accelerate development.

The second phase of the Jaynagar (India)-Bijalpura (Nepal)-Bardibas (Nepal) cross-border rail line project, the Kurtha-Bijalpura rail section, became operational on 16 July 2023. The rail section covers a total of 17.3 km. A total of five stations are found on this route–Kurtha, Pipradi, Loharpatti, Singyahi, and Bijalpura.

The BIMSTEC Business Conclave brought together business leaders and entrepreneurs from the BIMSTEC region. During the meeting, participants from the business sector highlighted the need to develop the Bhutan-Siliguri (India)-Bangladesh corridor. Siliguri in northern West Bengal, India, is strategically placed to boost trade in the region.

The Government of India has proposed the improvement and widening of the 134.9-kilometer section of National Highway 208, that stretches from Khowai to Harina in Tripura, India, to connect to Bangladesh’s Chattogram (Chittagong) port. The project will help enhance inter-state connectivity within India's northeastern region and promote connectivity for trade via Bangladesh.

Cordelia Express, the first luxury cruise ship between India and Sri Lanka, was flagged off on 5 June 2023 from Chennai Port, India. It set sail for Hambantota Port, Sri Lanka, and Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, and sailed back to Chennai on 9 June. Mr. Jurgen Bailom, Chief Executive Officer of the Cordelia Express, noted that the cruise ship is set to carry 50,000 passengers from India to Sri Lanka in the next four months.

The ongoing construction of the Agartala (India)-Akhaura (Bangladesh) international railway connectivity project has reached over 88% completion. The work is expected to be finished in the next 5-6 months, according to Mr. Sushanta Chowdhury, Tripura transport minister.

India and Sri Lanka are set to begin a passenger ferry service in April 2023. The ferry service between Karaikal, Puducherry, India, and Kankesanthurai, Jaffna, Sri Lanka, will commence on 29 April under the new passenger ferry program.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina remarked that India can utilize Bangladesh's Chattogram and Sylhet ports. She stressed the need to boost connectivity to further grow the region’s trade and commerce and enhance people to people linkages. Access to the two ports would mutually benefit both countries, stressed the Prime Minister.

India External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar called on Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih during his visit to Maldives. They jointly participated in the groundbreaking ceremony of the Hanimaadhoo international airport project.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Container Terminal in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, will receive a loan to expand the terminal’s container handling capacity and attract vessels operating on important international shipping lanes. The Nhava Sheva Container Terminal Financing Project, signed by the ADB and Nhava Sheva Freeport Terminal Private Limited, is a $131 million financing package.

A special tour will be operated by the Indian Railways showcasing pilgrimage sites in Ayodhya, India, and Janakpur, Nepal, in February. The "Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train” is an initiative that will strengthen bilateral relations and promote cultural relations between India and Nepal, according to an official statement issued by the Ministry of Railways.

The Government of Bangladesh plans to upgrade its northernmost airport, the Saidpur airport in Nilphamari, into an international airport. Saidpur airport can be a key transit point to boost connectivity between Bangladesh and its BIN neighbors—Bhutan, India’s northeastern region, and Nepal.

The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) unit in Siliguri, with the assistance of the Government of Bhutan, is conducting a survey to extend railway linkages to Bhutan. NFR and Bhutan are studying the potential for a rail track from Kokrajhar, Assam, to Gelephu, Bhutan. The planned route will be 57.5 kilometers long.

Direct flight services between Chennai, India, and Jaffna, Sri Lanka, resumed on 12 December 2022, after being halted for close to three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Resumption of flights is expected to boost tourist arrivals between the two countries.

State highways in Assam, India, are set to be upgraded through a loan approved by the Asian Development Bank. The project will connect SASEC with Bhutan's and Bangladesh's borders. It is expected to improve transport and increase the volume of trade across borders.

Road expansion work for the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation Dhaka-Sylhet Corridor Road Investment Project is set to begin in December 2022. Work to expand the highway from two to six lanes aims to reduce travel time and improve road safety.

Indian Railways successfully delivered 75 sports utility vehicles (SUVs) by rail and road to Bhutan—its first delivery to Bhutan via multimodal route. The SUVs were loaded at the Walajabad terminal, Chennai, bound for Hasimara station, Alipurduar. Upon arriving at Hasimara, the SUVs were loaded on trucks en route to Bhutan via road. Hasimara is an Indian town strategically located around 20km from an India-Bhutan border.

Bangladesh has implemented at least five projects under the SASEC program that will help landlocked Bhutan and Nepal gain access to sea ports. These projects are financed through the Asian Development Bank.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is set to strengthen its partnership with India and support development priorities for inclusive growth, according ADB Vice-President Shixin Chen. Mr. Chen affirmed ADB's support to the government's post-COVID-19 economic recovery efforts. ADB incorporates gender equality into the design of ADB-funded projects and enhances regional cooperation through the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation platform, said Mr. Chen.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and India Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s discussions highlighted several developments in bilateral relations in trade and connectivity, power and energy, and people-to-people linkages.

The Governments of Bangladesh and India are preparing to conduct comprehensive trial runs for the transshipment of cargo to India's northeastern regions via Bangladesh’s Chattogram and Mongla ports. The planned trial runs aim to iron out issues and align the immigration and customs arrangements in both countries.

The potential of the Siliguri corridor and its surroundings to be developed as a logistics hub for India’s northeastern region, and Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal, was emphasized by the CII at Logi Connect 2022. Developing Siliguri as a logistic hub would facilitate movement of goods to other states of India and its neighboring countries.

Highlighting new opportunities in waterways between India and Bangladesh, the Government of India has said that waterway transport is faster, cheaper, and environment-friendly.

Bangladesh is undertaking projects to strengthen interregional connectivity, such as ADB-supported South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) initiatives on cross-border connectivity. These SASEC initiatives, through regional and national SASEC transport projects, will develop infrastructure and systems that will improve cross-border connectivity and boost intraregional trade.

Railway ministers of India and Bangladesh virtually flagged off the Mitali Express on 1 June 2022. The Railway Ministry of India underscored that Mitali Express will boost both countries’ tourism by connecting Bangladesh with northern West Bengal and the northeastern region of India.

Mr. S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of the Government of India, highlighted in his inaugural address at the Natural Allies in Development and Interdependence (NADI) Asian Confluence River Conclave 2022 the importance of connectivity. He underscored that the coming together of the “Act East” and the “Neighborhood First” policies have an enormous impact extending beyond South Asia.

Mr. Tandi Dorji, Foreign Minister of the Government of Bhutan, and Mr. S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of the Government of India, jointly inaugurated three projects in Bhutan that were completed with Indian assistance. These include the Chubachu-Jungzhina four-lane road, a major trunk road in Thimphu that helps ease traffic congestion.

Mr. Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Foreign Secretary of the Government of India, convened the first meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Coordination Group (IMCG) on 12 April 2022. The IMCG is a high-level mechanism aimed at mainstreaming India’s "Neighborhood First" policy that aims to build greater connectivity, forge stronger inter-linkages, and greater people-to-people contact.

The railway service between India and Nepal for passengers, the Janakpur (Nepal) -- Jayanagar (India) railway service, was inaugurated by India Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on 3 April 2022 at a videoconferencing event in New Delhi, India. This is Nepal’s first broad gauge rail service.

The Government of India will create a new waterway connectivity on the Gomati river in Tripura that will facilitate improved trade and movement between Bangladesh and India, and ease transport bottlenecks in the country’s northeastern region. Passenger and cargo vessels will use the new route once opened.

India flagged off a pilot run of a cargo ship using waterways from Patna Port in Bihar, India, for the Pandu Port in Assam, India, via the Jamuna River,Bangladesh, on 5 February 2022. This 2,350 kilometer route that will be traveled by the carrier MV Lal Bahadur Shastri commenced from India’s western part to its northeastern region, passing through Bangladesh, under the Bangladesh-India Protocol for Inland Water Trade and Transit.

The Governments of India and Nepal signed a Memorandum of Understanding to build a bridge over Mahakali River with grant assistance from the Government of India. The planned 110-meter bridge will connect Dharchula (Uttarakhand, India) with Darchula (Sudurpaschim, Nepal).

Mr. S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of the Government of India, held a virtual meeting with Mr. Basil Rajapaksa, Finance Minister of the Government of Sri Lanka on 15 January 2022. The meeting reiterated India’s continued support for Sri Lanka, and emphasized that both countries stand to gain from forming closer economic interlinkages.

India has begun dredging waterways along the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers. Development of the waterways will allow passenger and cargo ships from Assam and the rest of northeastern India to travel to Haldia in West Bengal, India, via Bangladesh.

The Government of India financed the gauge conversion of the Jaynagar (India)-Kurtha (Nepal) cross-border rail link from narrow gauge to broad gauge. On 23 October 2021, India handed over the completed section totaling 34.9 kilometer to Nepal.

Indian Railways and Bangladesh Railway commenced the regular operation of freight trains on the restored Haldibari (India) - Chilahati (Bangladesh) Rail Route. Indian Railways dispatched a freight train loaded with stones from the Damdim Station of Northeast Frontier Railway (India) to Bangladesh.

A Letter of Exchange for the revision of the Railway Service Agreement between Nepal and India proposes to allow all authorized private container train operators from India and Nepal to utilize the Indian Railway network to transport freight containers for Nepal's imports or exports, and transport goods to and/or from other border points besides Raxaul (India)/Birgunj (Nepal).

The Asian Development Bank and the Government of India signed the Tamil Nadu Industrial Connectivity Project on 16 June 2021. Under the agreement, ADB will finance a $484 million loan to improve transport connectivity and facilitate industrial development in the Chennai–Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor.

Experts discussed unique opportunities in river tourism between Bangladesh and India at a public-private dialogue on India-Bangladesh cross-border tourism and cruise operations organized by CUTS International on 29 April 2021.

Mr. Abdulla Shahid, Foreign Minister of the Government of Maldives, met with Mr. S Jaishankar, Foreign Minister of the Government of India, on 16 April 2021, as part of his two-day visit to India. The two foreign ministers reviewed the status of ongoing projects in Maldives backed by India. India supports around $2 billion worth of projects in Maldives, including ports, roads, bridges, water and sanitation, and socio-economic development projects.

India Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a state visit to Bangladesh on 26-27 March 2021 to join celebrations for the golden jubilee of Bangladesh’s independence and the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Bangladesh and India are also commemorating 50 years since the establishment of their diplomatic relations.

A shipment of lychee drinks will be traveling through inland waterways from Narsingdi, Bangladesh, to Kolkata, India. According to Mr. Mohammed Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury, Secretary of the Ministry of Shipping, Bangladesh, developing inland waterways will lower the cost of shipping and increase trade between India and Bangladesh.

India's northeastern states are working to improve infrastructure and connectivity to help reduce the cost of transport and basic commodities. India's northeastern region is the country's gateway to East and Southeast Asia, and India is promoting transport and energy connectivity with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Nepal, explains Mr. Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Foreign Secretary of the Government of India.

The Bangladesh Executive Committee of the National Economic Council has approved a road expansion program through the SASEC Road Link Project II: Elenga-Hatikamrul-Rangpur Highway Four-Lane Upgradation. The project will be part of a road network connecting Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal that would increase trade and commerce in the subregion.

A trial run for the first export consignment from Bangladesh to Tripura, India, through inland waterways was conducted on 3–5 September 2020. The barge traveled 93 kilometers along the Meghna-Gomati river route carrying 50 tons of cement.

The Government of Bangladesh approved a Tk 848.3 crore (around $100 million) for a road widening project that would help broaden bilateral trade with India. Under the project, the 38km Baraiyerhat-Hiako-Ramgarh road in the Khagrachhari district will be widened.

Mr. Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Foreign Secretary of the Government of India, paid a visit to Dhaka, Bangladesh, to take forward cooperation on matters of mutual interest. His meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina discussed India-Bangladesh connectivity and power projects, as well as India’s developmental assistance for Bangladesh.

The Governments of India and Nepal held the Eighth Meeting of the Nepal-India Oversight Mechanism on 17 August 2020. The virtual meeting conducted a comprehensive review of the projects being implemented under bilateral cooperation.

Extensive connectivity in the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal subregion is needed to respond to economic vulnerabilities brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. Increased connectivity through trade and transport infrastructure, such as those under the South Asian Subregional Economic Cooperation program, help the Asian Development Bank in its work to reduce poverty and promote gender equality.

Mr. Saurabh Kumar, Ambassador, Embassy of India in Myanmar, spoke at an interactive webinar on India-Myanmar Business Promotion, Challenges and Opportunities Post COVID-19 along with his counterpart Mr. Moe Kyaw Aung, Ambassador, Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar in India. Mr. Kumar suggested expanding bilateral trade relations to include areas such as pharmacy and healthcare to help the revival of both countries post-COVID-19.

Maldives is studying the use of high-level technologies to support a national window system to make international trade easier and more efficient. Through the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation National Single Window Project, Maldives is introducing blockchain technology to improve trade facilitation and management of local and regional supply chains.

India's Ministry of Railways has commissioned a survey to establish a cross-border railway link between India and Bhutan. The planned route is on Mujnai (India)–Nyoenpaling (Bhutan).

India and Myanmar are launching the Imphal (Manipur, India)–Mandalay (Myanmar) bus service to further promote tourism and people-to-people visits. On 7 April 2020, the new passenger bus route will be inaugurated in Mandalay in a ceremony flagging off a bus bound for Imphal. On 8 April, a bus bound for Mandalay will be flagged off from Imphal. The Shwe Mandalar Express Company Limited from Yangon and Seven Sisters Holidays from Imphal partnered to operate the bus route.

Representatives from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal (BBIN) met in New Delhi, India, on 8 February 2020 to discuss and push for the finalization of the BBIN Motor Vehicles Agreement.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has committed to a loan of $195 million to improve the highway section between Pokhara and Mugling in Nepal. The highway section links Pokhara to Kathmandu and to subregional corridors connecting Nepal with India and Bangladesh.

Economic corridor development is an effective policy that could promote sustainable growth in Bangladesh. It is a tool that enables the proliferation of industry, creates jobs, upgrades infrastructure, and links production centers with global value chains. It also helps create markets in lagging regions.

A bus service between Kathmandu, Nepal and Siliguri, West Bengal, India was inaugurated on 26 August 2019. Mr. Raghubir Mahaseth, Minister for Transport Management of the Government of Nepal, and Mr. Manjeev Singh Puri, Indian Ambassador to Nepal, jointly flagged off the bus service. Mr. Mahaseth emphasized that the bus service will further strengthen the links between the two nations and help to expand trade links.

Infrastructure bottlenecks will need to be removed to effectively implement the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal Motor Vehicles Agreement. According to Mr. Bipul Chatterjee, Executive Director, CUTS International, addressing the many short-term challenges would bring long-term benefits and result in a win-win situation for all member countries.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Development Fund (SDF) and Drukair Corporation signed a $13 million loan agreement to help DrukAir purchase a new ATR Aircraft. This is SDF’s first loan under its economic and infrastructure window. Mr. Sunil Motiwal, Chief Executive Officer of SDF, noted that this assistance will help Bhutan expand its aviation connectivity to Bangladesh, India, and Nepal.

The Government of Bangladesh is considering the construction of a new pipeline to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) from India. According to Mr. Nasrul Hamid, State Minister for Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources of the Government of Bangladesh, the country’s Gas Transmission Company Limited plans to install the pipeline near the Satkhira border. This will help supply fuel-based power plants and industries in the southeastern region of Bangladesh.

An Indian cargo ship carrying a shipment of stone aggregate from Bhutan has arrived in Bangladesh. It passed through the Brahmaputra River in India. It was the first shipment to take the route, saving an estimated 30% transportation cost and travelling at half the time it would take for the shipment to travel by land.

Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Finance, India, announced during her budget speech on 5 July 2019 that the opening of a protocol route between India and Bangladesh would be the start of a water grid program. The water grid would connect India’s northeaster region to Kolkata and Haldia ports in India and Mongla port in Bangladesh, allowing for seamless movement of import and export cargo and reduced logistics cost.

India could play a crucial role in interconnecting regional energy networks. In this commentary, Mr. Mahendra P. Lama outlines what India needs to approach energy security projects in India and its neighboring countries.

Senior officials met to review India-Nepal bilateral transit and trade treaties and agreed to discuss inland waterways facilities, which could reduce transit cost significantly once implemented. The two countries also agreed to install facilities for electronic cargo tracking on cargo bound for Nepal.

India is working to develop its inland waterways to increase economic connectivity with Southeast Asia. The project will connect India’s northeastern states with Bangladesh and Nepal and boost trade in the region as part of India’s Act East Policy.

The broad-gauge railway line on the new Indo-Nepal railway route running from Janakpur (India) to Kurtha (Nepal) has been laid down, according to Mr. Aman Chitrakar, Senior Engineer, Department of Railways, Government of Nepal. The Government of India supported construction of the 35 kilometer-long railway route. Building of railway stations, terminal buildings, bridges and culverts along the route is approaching completion.

India Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India's first inland waterways terminal on the Ganga River in Varanasi, and received the first inland container vessel which journeyed from Kolkata. The Prime Minister heralded the arrival of the container as 'historic' for India. The inland waterways terminal is part of a planned multimodal terminal on the Ganga in Varanasi. The waterway route links eastern Uttar Pradesh to the Bay of Bengal. It promises to save time and money, lessen road traff

Bangladesh and India signed three bilateral memoranda of understanding to strengthen transport between the two countries using inland waterways. The pacts include an agreement for the use of Mongla and Chattogram (formerly Chittagong) ports in Bangladesh for transporting goods to and from India and the operation of cruise vessels on the protocol routes.

A seminar on inland waterways emphasized on the potential impact of connectivity between India and Nepal. As a cost-effective, safe, and environment-friendly transport option, it could shape the future of trade, tourism, and navigation between India and Nepal, according to Mr. Barsha Man Pun, Minister of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation, Government of Nepal. Access to India's Haldia port may also open the market to Nepal’s less marketed commodities, noted Mr. Pun.

A team of technical experts from Nepal undertook an official visit to India to (i) study India’s inland waterway infrastructures in consideration of Nepal's needs, and (ii) hold discussions with their counterparts in India. This field visit follows the meeting between Indian and Nepalese government officials held in July 2018 in Kathmandu, Nepal.

India began implementation of the United Nations TIR Convention to transform the country’s trade and transport by activating regional connectivity and advancing global trade prospects. The TIR Convention provides global access to markets, connecting India to the wider TIR network that includes Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia and Central Asia.

The Governments of India and Nepal convened the 6th Meeting of the Project Steering Committee for the Implementation of India-Nepal Cross Border Rail Link Projects. The Meeting highlighted the early finalization of the Memorandum of Understanding for the preliminary engineering/traffic survey of the Raxaul (India)-Kathmandu (Nepal) rail line.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) submitted the Jogighopa Multi-Modal Logistics Park (MMLP) pre-feasibility study report to the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways, Government of India, on 19 June 2018. The Government of India (GoI) requested for ADB's support to conduct MMLP pre-feasibility studies at select locations, including Jogighopa in Assam, India.

Establishing an additional air route via Nepal will help reduce congestion and enhance air traffic safety in the region. In this commentary, Mr. Tri Ratna Manandhar, former Director General of Civil Aviation Authority, Nepal, discusses how India and Nepal could work together to implement the Himalaya Route.

Bangladesh’s Executive Committee of the National Economic Council has approved a project to install a high-voltage direct-current back-to-back substation at Comilla in Bangladesh for importing 500 megawatts of electricity from Tripura, India.

The 9th Annual Ministerial Meeting of Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) on Trade and Transport was held to discussed key issues in transport, transit cooperation, trade, and trade facilitation among LLDCs. Bhutan and Nepal sent delegations to the Meeting. They highlighted initiatives being taken to connect their countries to the global market, including bilateral agreements in the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal subregion and the SASEC Trade Facilitation Program.

The Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India is reviewing feasibility studies for potential railway linkages between India and Bhutan. The studies conducted by the Northeast Frontier Railway include five possible routes.

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry is fast-tracking implementation of the United Nations TIR Convention, following the Indian government’s initiatives to promote trade expansion, particularly along the international North-South Transport Corridor.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council of the Government of Bangladesh approved the double laning of the railway track from Khulna to Darshana. Darshana, a rail transit point, lies on the Bangladesh-India border. Spanning around 217 kilometers, the double rail line will establish rail connectivity with India, with links toward Bhutan and Nepal. It will also provide access to Mongla Port.

The Governments of India and Nepal held an India-Nepal Inter-Governmental Committee Meeting on Trade, Transit, and Cooperation to Control Unauthorised Trade, led by Commerce Secretaries of the two Governments. They discussed bilateral trade, transit, and economic relations, and agreed to conclude measures to further improve bilateral trade and investment ties.

Bangladesh, India, and Nepal conducted a trial bus service run on 24-25 April 2018. Two buses left Dhaka, Bangladesh, for Kathmandu, Nepal, carrying delegates from the three countries and the ADB. The Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal Motor Vehicles Agreement enables the bus service.

This commentary by Ms. Dikshya Singh, Research Officer at South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment, puts forward that the decision to connect India and Nepal via inland waterways is a "landmark decision" that is worth pursuing. While modalities have yet to be set by the two Governments, the option to connect Nepal to India's waterways promises to further boost Nepal's trade facilitation and make India's inland waterways infrastructure project more financially viable.

The Government of Bangladesh's Cabinet Committee on Purchase approved a proposal to import 500 megawatts of electricity from India from June 2018 to May 2033 to help meet the country's energy demand. The Committee also cleared a proposal appointing Texmaco Rail and Engineering from India to build the dual gauge rail line from Akhaura to Agartala.

The National Highways Authority of India signed on 11 April 2018 an agreement to widen the Yagyi-Kalewa section of the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway. Construction is also underway for the Imphal-Kangchup-Tamenglong road under the SASEC Road Connectivity Investment Program. These projects will improve the flow of vehicular traffic and enhance trade, health services, and tourism in India, Myanmar, and Thailand.

India and Nepal are set to be linked by rail with the agreement by the Governments of both countries to connect Raxaul, a border city in India, to Kathmandu, Nepal's capital city, by rail. Preparatory survey work will be conducted by the Government of India, in consultation with the Government of Nepal, for a new electrified rail line within one year.

Selected commercial and personal vehicles, including a passenger bus service, will join a trial run from Dhaka, Bangladesh to Kathmandu, Nepal on 23-26 April 2018. The route will pass through the Banglabandha (Bangladesh)-Phulbari (India) border and through Panitanki (India)-Kakarbhitta (Nepal) border. Senior officials of the governments of Bangladesh, India, and Nepal have agreed to operate more cargo and passenger buses along key routes in the region to enhance connectivity.

Providing a boon to relations between India and Myanmar, Indian Railways delivered 18 AC/DC 1350 horsepower diesel electric locomotives to Myanmar Railways six months ahead of schedule. Funded with an Indian line of credit, the fuel-efficient locomotives are fitted with micro-processor control-based systems, equipped with the latest technology, and runs at a maximum speed of 100 kilometers per hour.

The Government of Nepal is aiming to finalize the transshipment modality with the Government of India for its third country trade. It will be part of the agenda in the upcoming Intergovernmental Committee (IGC) meeting in April in Pokhara, Nepal, headed by India and Nepal commerce secretaries.

This video showcases how innovations for trade facilitation have enabled businesses in the BBIN subregion to tap into regional value chains and flourish globally. More developments in facilitating trade and enhancing connectivity are planned and underway to help boost trade, enhance regional integration, and promote economic opportunities.

The Government of Bangladesh plans to convert around 67 kilometers of meter-gauge rail line into dual gauge to establish railway connectivity with Bhutan, India, and Nepal. This move could help boost trade among the three countries.

India's Ministry of Shipping reported planned dredging works in the Zakiganj-Ashuganj section of the Kushiyara river and in the Sirajganj-Daikhowa section of the Jamuna river to help develop year-round navigation. Dredging will be executed by the two countries, subsequent to the decision taken in the meeting of the Shipping Secretaries in December 2016.

India's Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) will prioritize plans to construct 2,000 kilometers of roads linking India's major highway corridors to international trade points in South Asia. MoRTH Minister Nitin Gadkari highlights that this plan, worth Rs 25,000 crore, will facilitate export/import trade with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Nepal. The Ministry also took steps to operationalize the BBIN MVA.

India has proposed a $1 billion line of credit (LOC) to strengthen sea, air, and road connectivity with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), according to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, India. India and Myanmar are working together to upgrade infrastructure in the border areas, including the India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) Trilateral Highway, and the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project.

Completion of infrastructure to connect inland waterways of India and Bangladesh could ease movement between the two countries, and make transport of freight to Nepal and Bhutan faster and less expensive. Opening inland waterways would make alternative modes of transport viable and could open up livelihood opportunities, helping facilitate trade in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal, according to experts attending a forum on subregional inland waterways.

The Asian Development Bank has approved $1.2 billion financing support for the second phase upgrade of the Dhaka-Northwest international trade corridor, the second busiest artery in Bangladesh. Upgrading this corridor will improve access to the Burimari Land Port, which links Bangladesh to Bhutan through India, potentially increasing trade.

The Government of India has taken steps to implement the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA), coordinating with the Governments of Bangladesh and Nepal through the Ministry of External Affairs to enforce the transport agreement between and among themselves, reported Mr. Nitin Gadkari, Road Transport, Highways, and Shipping Minister, India.

India has formed the India-Myanmar Chamber of Commerce (IMCC) in Yangon to increase trade between the two countries, which currently stands at around $2 billion. IMCC will focus on helping Indian business invest in Myanmar and vice versa.

Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, India, urged India and member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to bolster efforts to increase bilateral trade and investment, and improve road and sea transport links. She urged a review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement to facilitate elimination of technical barriers to trade, and promoted transformation of the India-Southeast Asia transport corridors into economic corridors.

The new Agreement on Trade, Commerce, and Transit between India and Bhutan has come into force beginning 29 July 2017. It provides for a free trade regime between the territories of India and Bhutan, and allows duty free transit of Bhutanese goods for trade with third countries.

India’s Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave its approval for a $253,406,409 project to be implemented by the state-run National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation. The project, part of the SASEC Road Connectivity Investment Program, will upgrade and widen 65 kilometers of the Imphal-Moreh section of National Highway 39 in northeastern India.

Mr. Prabir De, Professor at the Research and Information System for Developing Countries, discusses how the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) subregional grouping’s focus to bridge connectivity gaps is crucial to reducing poverty in the region. He highlights the pressing need to begin implementing comprehensive trade facilitation and connectivity measures in the BBIN subregion, and remarks how success of the BBIN initiative is important to move broader regional integration initiative

The International Trade Centre's Trade Map reports an increase in intraregional trade in the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) subregion in 2016, from $21.65 billion in 2015 to $23.52 billion. The ratio of BBIN intraregional trade to world trade went up from 2.98% in 2015 to 3.34% in 2016.

The Government of India has proposed application of its "Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik" (UDAN) or "Common People of the Country can Fly" policy among member countries of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC). An enabling regional connectivity policy could help attract high value economic agents, business travelers, and tourists.

An electronic tracking system will soon ease traffic-in-transit for cargo traveling by road and rail from Kolkata to four major Customs points of Nepal, including the Raxaul route. Mr. Sandeep Kumar, Customs Commissioner, India, and Mr. Rabi Shanker Sainju, Commerce Ministry Joint Secretary, Nepal, signed a memorandum of intent to pilot the tracking system for a trial period of at least 90 days in late 2017.

The Government of India plans to begin construction of the highway connecting Meghalaya to Myanmar in June 2017, according to the Ministry of Road Transport, Highways, and Shipping, India. India also plans to boost waterway transit for more cost-effective transport of goods, and is considering waterway connectivity between Myanmar and Bangladesh.

A delegation of the India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IBCCI) met with Mr. Shajahan Khan, Shipping Minister, Bangladesh, to discuss trade bottlenecks in Bangladesh-India land ports. Infrastructural and administrative bottlenecks in land and sea ports of Bangladesh and India slows down the trade process. Long delays for trucks to pass through Customs, for example, results in shortages of warehouses and trucks, and skyrocketing prices in truck rentals.

Finance ministers and senior officials of member countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka met on 5 May at Yokohama, Japan, at the sidelines of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) 50th Annual General Meeting.

India has signed investment agreements worth $31 million at the Integrated Transport and Logistics Summit in New Delhi, India. The agreements form part of the Government of India’s holistic approach to spur infrastructure growth, according to Mr. Nitin Gadkari, Road Transport and Shipping Minister, India.

Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe visited India on 25-29 April 2017, for discussion with India Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a range of bilateral issues and matters of mutual interest. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe welcomed the signing of the MoU for Cooperation in Economic Projects, which outlines the agenda for bilateral economic cooperation.

Bangladesh has the potential to become a transport hub for India, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Myamar, according to Mr. AMA Muhith, Finance Minister, Bangladesh. Turning Bangladesh into a regional and transshipment hub would enhance economic cooperation and result in collective economic growth for the countries, Mr. Muhith said at the SASEC Finance Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi, India.

The Eighth BIMSTEC Roundtable Meeting tackled “Rewriting the Rulebook of Regional Connectivity,” emphasizing the need to resolve border-related trade barriers through coordination of government policies across Asia, including Customs procedures and clearance of goods, to unlock the vibrancy of the Asian Highway and reduce the cost of doing business.

India's Ministry of Shipping will set up an international river port in Sonamura, connecting Gomati River in Tripura, in India's northeast, with Meghna river in Bangladesh. India’s Inland Waterways Authority approved the proposal to enable small ferries and boats to transport goods through river transit, according to Minister of State for Industries and Commerce.

Bilateral trade between India and Myanmar increased from nearly $11.9 million in 2013-2014 to around $22.2 million in 2015-2016, according to India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry. India's Act East Policy was instrumental in promoting trade growth between the two countries, deepening economic cooperation and expanding trade through India's Northeast region.

India filed a draft Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) on Services at the World Trade Organization (WTO) on 23 February 2017. The proposal aims to increase transparency, reduce costs and facilitate cross-border flows of services. India is looking to push the proposal at the WTO Ministerial Meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in December.

Good connectivity reduces the cost of doing business and increases the competitive strengths of trading partners. In this commentary, Dr. Mustafizur Rahman, Executive Director, Centre for Policy Dialogue, highlights how a sanitary and phytosanitary agreement and an effective Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal Motor Vehicle Agreement would promote South Asian integration and step up Asia-wide cooperation.

The Ganges flows through the middle of Bihar, India, physically dividing it into north and south. Enhanced connectivity can improve lives and livelihoods, especially if the infrastructure is climate-sensitive. Ms. Saleha Waseem, Operations Communications Specialist at the Asian Development Bank’s South Asia Regional Department, shows how improving transport links would make a huge difference to millions of people.

The second meeting of the Nepal-India Oversight Mechanism, held on 30 January 2017 in Kathmandu, Nepal, reviewed progress of India-funded economic and development projects in Nepal, and agreed to expedite implementation of these projects for timely completion. Projects discussed included cross-border railways, integrated check posts, and cross-border transmission lines.

A railway network linking India and its neighboring countries, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Nepal, is being considered by the Government of India, according to India Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu. Developing railway connectivity will increase employment, interaction, trade, and tourism.

The interactive session “Harnessing Regional Cooperation in South Asia” held at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum discussed how regional economic cooperation is helping accelerate growth and development. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina emphasized continuous initiatives, in economic cooperation in South Asia, including SAFTA and SASEC. India Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman lauded initiatives to boost connectivity.

India is set to join the Transports Internationaux Routiers (TIR), or International Road Transport Convention in its bid to establish seamless trade connectivity with Southeast Asia and Eurasian countries. Through the TIR Convention, India could access Eurasia via the International North-South Transport Corridor. TIR would also give India an advantage in trade with fellow signatories of the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicles Agreement.

An India-Myanmar-Thailand Friendship Motor Car Rally, beginning in New Delhi, India and culminating in Bangkok, Thailand, has highlighted potential benefits of intra-regional connectivity and integration, and sensitized stakeholders on the all-weather road that will make travel from New Delhi to Bangkok by road possible.

The Colombo Shipping Corporation is planning to re-establish ferry linkages under public-private partnership. A SAARC Meeting of Experts from India, Maldives and Sri Lanka, recommended resumption of ferry services between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. 

A new Agreement on Trade, Commerce, and Transit between India and Bhutan, enabling a free trade regime between the two countries, and providing for duty-free transit of Bhutanese merchandise for trade with third countries, has been approved by the Cabinet of India, in a meeting chaired by India Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Mr. S. Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, India, called on Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena to discuss potential partnerships between India and Sri Lanka in sectors including energy, infrastructure, and transport, and Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to further discuss boosting bilateral trade and investment.

A high-level panel formed by the Governments of India and Nepal will work to address bottlenecks in infrastructure projects in Nepal funded by the Government of India—including hydropower projects, roads and railways—to ensure their timely completion.

The Governments of India and Bangladesh have begun the process of acquiring land in Bangladesh to build the new India-Bangladesh railway project. The 15 kilometer (km) railway will connect Agartala (India) to Akhaura (Bangladesh), and reduce the 1,613-km mountainous distance between Agartala and Kolkata to 514 km.

In recent years, countries in South Asia have shown increasing commitment to deepening regional cooperation through bilateral agreements and regional initiatives, including the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal Motor Vehicles Agreement. This commentary by Ms. Nahela Nowshin of the Centre for Policy Dialogue discusses the importance of regional initiatives in South Asia, as well as the need to promote dialogue on matters of regional cooperation and connectivity.

The India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) Trilateral Highway is set to be completed by 2019-2020. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assigned the India Ministry of External Affairs to monitor and oversee its completion.

As part of the Government of India’s Act East Policy, Indian Railways is set to provide a rail link to Bhutan to boost ties with its South Asian neighbors. Feasibility studies have been conducted for extended links between Kokrajhar-Gelephu, Rangiya-Samdrupjonkhar, Banarhat-Samtse, and Pathsala-Nanglam. India’s Northeast Frontier Railway has also undertaken survey work for rail connectivity to Nepal and Bangladesh.

A new chapter in trade relations and people-to-people contact between Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal (BBIN) began on 5 September 2016, as a Bangladeshi cargo truck rolled into the Customs Inland Container Depot, Patparganj, Delhi. Though the vehicle entered India through Petrapole Land Customs Station, Customs clearance was done at the ICD, Patparganj, as part of a trial run of the BBIN Motor Vehicles Agreement.

Bangladesh is pushing for the development of railway corridors with India to facilitate trade and investment among BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal) countries. To help boost regional trade, Bangladesh Railway is looking to revive five routes to India, and build railway links to connect with Bhutan and Nepal.

Mr. Nitin Gadkari, Road Transport and Shipping Minister, India, led the inauguration of the Varanasi-Haldia inland waterway route, laying the foundation stone for an inland waterway terminal, and flagging off a trial run of two cargo vessels from Varanasi to Haldia Port near Kolkata, a route that touches Nepal’s two major rivers—Koshi and Gandaki.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) India Business Council (AIBC) called for opening of trade between India's northeastern states and the ASEAN region, in a meeting with India Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. AIBC also sought to finalize the ASEAN-India Transit Transport Agreement before completion of the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway.

Development of infrastructure at Sheola, Thegamukh, and Bhomra land ports under the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal (BBIN) initiative for regional connectivity will increase economic activity, according to a feasibility study report jointly undertaken by India and the People’s Republic of China. The report was presented at a National Public Consultation Workshop in Bangladesh on 11 August 2016.

India is upbeat on India-Bangladesh bilateral relations, particularly on connectivity and bilateral trade. Mr. Harsh Vardhan Shringla, High Commissioner of lndia to Bangladesh, emphasized at a Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry meeting, that Bangladesh is integral to India’s Act East Policy and noted the many efforts to link the two countries.

River management provides opportunities to release regenerative capacities of the people and environment of basin-wide areas. The following article suggests South Asian countries cooperate to fulfill a promise of greater sustainability. Cooperation in water resource management can serve as a catalyst for broader regional cooperation, economic integration, and development.

The Government of India is planning to develop an economic hub in the port city of Sittwe, Myanmar, that will help boost India's connectivity to Southeast Asia.

Indian Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and Bangladeshi Railway Minister Mazibul Hoque jointly laid the foundation stone for the 15 kilometer (km) Agartala (India)-Akhaura (Bangladesh) railway project. This rail link reduces the Agartala-Kolkata distance from 1,613 km to 514 km.

South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) investment projects increased to a cumulative $7.66 billion in the areas of transport, energy, trade facilitation, and ICT with the recent approval of India’s Bihar New Ganga Bridge Project. To date, 40 SASEC-supported projects are helping member countries strengthen regional connectivity infrastructure, promote economic growth, and foster regional cooperation. In addition, there are now 71 technical assistance projects worth $66.14 mi

Implementation of the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA) may start in December, according to Bangladesh Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, while speaking at a closing ceremony of a drivers' training on road safety.

India's National Green Tribunal has approved registration of a Delhi-Kathmandu bus service by the Delhi Transport Corporation, offering transit between select destinations in India and Nepal. The bus service was launched to further enhance economic ties between the two countries

Mr. Hun Kim, Director General, South Asia Department, ADB, describes how partnership of 6 South Asian countries through the ADB-supported South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Program is helping propel economic growth in South Asia, amidst an uncertain regional and global economic climate, by working to increase trade volumes to reduce the number of impoverished people in the region.

Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) signed a landmark Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA) meant to allow smooth passage of goods and passenger vehicles in each other’s territories. In this blog post, Sanjay Kathuria, Lead Economist and Coordinator, South Asia Regional Integration, Trade and Competitiveness Global Practice, World Bank, asks if South Asia is truly ready for such a regional agreement.

Talks to implement a regular bus service between India and Thailand through Myanmar are underway as part of a Motor Vehicle Agreement being finalized by India, Myanmar, and Thailand (IMT). The service would run on the 1,400 kilometer IMT Trilateral Highway linking South and Southeast Asia.

Plans are underway to open up coastal shipping routes between Bangladesh and India to passenger and cruise vessels. According to Bangladesh Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam, the two countries are in talks to sign a memorandum of understanding allowing Indian vessels through Bangladesh's waterways, to ease travel to India's northeast.

The BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA) is making it easier for passengers and freight vehicles in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal to travel around the region. BBIN finalized the MVA in an effort to facilitate cross-border trade and travel in South Asia. A BBIN Business Forum sees energy and water cooperation playing a vital role in taking integration even further in the region.

BBIN Business Forum states that Customs duties and taxation must be harmonized in order to improve trade among Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal. Following the successful signing of the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal Motor Vehicles Agreement (BBIN MVA), the countries must now pursue ways to make the movement of goods and people easier.

The interactive SASEC Corridor Map on the SASEC Program website and SASEC Mobile App is your gateway to SASEC projects. View projects by sector—energy, transport, trade facilitation, and ICT—or by corridor using the interactive map, to learn how the SASEC program is helping promote regional prosperity in South Asia. The map also includes project information and links to SASEC project pages.

The Asian Development Bank has approved a $500-million loan to build a bridge across the Ganges River that will link India and Nepal. The 9.8-kilometer bridge will be India’s longest river bridge and will help people move between jobs and markets. It is projected to benefit 9 million people, especially those in poorer communities.

India is set to begin work on the Bihar New Ganga Bridge Project, which is expected to become the longest river bridge in India at 9.8 kilometers (km). The road bridge spanning the Ganges River will improve transport connectivity between north and south Bihar, India, and enhance the existing road corridors between India and Nepal. ADB is providing $500 million for the project and $900,000 in technical assistance to improve bridge operation and management.

Cargo bound for Nepal was flagged off symbolically from Visakhapatnam Port in India on 24 June 2016, signaling to traders that the port is ready to facilitate exports and imports as Nepal's second gateway port. A delegation from Nepal is in Visakhapatnam to see through implementation of the agreement and discuss modalities of cargo transit with Customs officials from India.

Launch of the Bangladesh-India transshipment facility concluded with the successful delivery of steel rods from Kolkata, India to Agartala, the capital of Tripura, through Akhaura land port in Bangladesh, onboard Bangladeshi trucks. The facility will allow India to deliver goods to the northeast region in an estimated 10-day time, and help boost trade in the region by enabling Bangladesh to transport goods to Nepal and Bhutan via India, and give India access to Myanmar via Bangladesh.

The Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicles Agreement is a landmark framework agreement signed by the transport ministers of the BBIN countries last June 2015 in Thimphu, Bhutan. Mr. Ronald Butiong, Director, Regional Cooperation and Operations Coordination, South Asia Regional Department, Asian Development Bank (ADB), describes how it is paving the way for a more integrated and more prosperous South Asian region in an ADB blog entry.

Nepal's private sector stakeholders are seeking a dedicated railway line from Nepal to Indian sea ports, including the Visakhapatnam Port, to reduce the cost of trade in the country. Mr. Rajan Sharma, Transport and Transit Committee Chair of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, noted that direct access to India's Visakhapatnam Port could bring transformational changes to Nepal's economy.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Development Fund (SDF) and SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry have pledged to collaborate and co-finance projects under the SDF's social, economic and infrastructure windows to promote regional connectivity across the SAARC region.

The 15-kilometer broad gauge rail service from Agartala, India to Akhaura, Bangladesh is set to be inaugurated in June 2016. Funded by the Government of India, the railway project will reduce the 1,650-km distance between Agartala and Kolkata to 550 km and is foreseen to boost bilateral trade and business between the two neighboring countries.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Development Fund (SAARC SDF) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed a memorandum of understanding to undertake development projects in the South Asian region.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali paid a courtesy call on the King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. The King lauded Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's initiatives to boost Bangladesh-Bhutan bilateral relations, and emphasized the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) cooperation as a platform to achieve regional prosperity.

India is planning to develop regional connectivity projects worth around $5 billion under the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-supported SASEC Program, according to Mr. Shaktikanta Das, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, India. These initiatives include two priority road corridors that will boost connectivity with its neighbors in South and Southeast Asia and complementary integrated check posts and land Customs stations. India and ADB will also work together to develop the East Coast Econom

A World Customs Organization (WCO) Subregional Workshop on Transit Corridors in South Asia considered improvement of regional transit regimes in the region. Progress of the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicle Agreement, as well as national experiences of Japan, Switzerland and Malawi in implementing efficient transit regimes, was discussed.

The Economic Cooperation Dialogue on Regional Connectivity and Border Special Development Zones in Eastern South Asia highlighted the importance of transport corridors to promote trade and economic cooperation in the region. Dr. Nagesh Kumar, Head, UNESCAP Subregional Office for South and South-West Asia, shared how developing transport corridors can turn constraints faced by the region's landlocked countries into opportunities.

A railway agreement in the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal (BBIN) subregion is being proposed, in line with expansion of railway links boosting connectivity between India's Northeast and its BBIN neighbors. According to Mr. Mukul Kumar, Director (Transport), Railway Board, Ministry of Railways, Government of India, this initiative will facilitate cross-border transport of goods and people, and enable efficient multimodal transport system to integrate and sustain the region's economic growth.

India's Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari announced the Government's updated target to complete the Sagar Mala program in 5 years at the Maritime India Summit. The project will help reduce logistics costs, boost merchandise exports by $110 million, and create 10 million new jobs.

Dr. Selim Reihan notes that drivers of political economy can impact the region's integration agenda. In this essay, Dr. Raihan highlights the importance of exploring the political economy of regional integration to generate a better assessment of the factors driving and constraining regional integration, and create broader awareness among stakeholders to stimulate a more realistic and effective regional policy design and processes.

Dr. Pritam Banerjee, Senior Director, Corporate Public Policy (South Asia), Deutsche Post DHL, reported that the first trial run of cargo vehicles on the Kolkata-Dhaka-Agartala route under the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) sub-regional framework, enabled a better understanding of future needs and solutions for safe and efficient movement of cargo across BBIN borders.

India Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar discussed initiatives being pursued by India in line with its 'neighborhood first' policy, in his address at the 42nd Standing Committee Meeting of SAARC. He also emphasized the need to implement the South Asia Economic Union, and sign the SAARC Motor Vehicles Agreement and SAARC Railways Agreement.

Construction of a new road from Imphal City to Tamenglong via Kangchup was officially inaugurated by Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh. The 103-kilometer road improvement is part of a larger program to improve a key strategic thoroughfare on the Asian Highway, integrating South and Southeast Asia, bordering Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Nepal. It is funded by an Asian Development Bank loan, approved in March 2014.

Regional economic connectivity initiatives, including the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal Motor Vehicle Agreement, can change the business landscape of Bangladesh, said Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Md. Shahidul Haque at a meeting of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry.  The BBIN MVA will transform 30 transport corridors into economic corridors, and is set to give subregional businesses a boost.

The third meeting of the Joint Working Group on Subregional Cooperation between Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) on Connectivity and Transit and Water Resources Management and Power/Hydropower deliberated new initiatives for deepening cooperation. Discussion centered around progress made under the BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement and the proposed BBIN Rail Agreement.

Indian Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha led a two-day visit to the northeastern state of Tripura to inaugurate its trial broad gauge passenger train, and review progress of ongoing railway projects, including the Agartala-Akhaura railway project, which connects the rail networks of Bangladesh and India, and Agartala-Sabroom, a future connecting point for Chittagong port in Bangladesh.

A potential Asian Development Bank loan of $625 million will boost the planned $840 million Vizag-Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC). VCIC will form part of India’s proposed East Coast Economic Corridor, with 4 industrial nodes expected to double industrial output and improve productivity in Andhra Pradesh by 30% over the next 2 decades.

A friendship bus service between India and Nepal was re-launched on 4 January 2016, after a gap of 27 years. No special documents are necessary to travel in these buses. Locals with family and trade ties in both countries, who regularly travel this route on a daily basis met the news with much enthusiasm.

A total of 69 bridges will be built by the Government of India along a major road link of the India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) Trilateral Highway in Myanmar. These bridges will be part of the route for a proposed bus service linking Imphal, capital of the Indian state of Manipur, with Mandalay City in Myanmar. The project is estimated to cost around $56 million, and is due for completion in mid-2019.

The Government of India has released the first tranche of funding worth around $299,000 to construct a new waterway link between its northeast region and Bangladesh. With total allocation of $1.87 million, the project will link the Gomati and Howrah rivers in Tripura with the Meghna river in Bangladesh, to boost bilateral trade and the movement of people.

South Asia is set to play a strategic role in Asian integration. This commentary by Mr. Ganeshan Wignaraja, Advisor in the Asian Development Bank’s Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department, shares how linking emerging South Asia with the more developed member countries of the Association of South East Asian Nations will transform regional economies through development of regional connectivity, and create a huge regional market of 2-3 billion people.

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry organized the Second North East Regional Connectivity Summit to review progress made since its first Summit held in 2014, and discuss a way forward for the region's development, to maximize its proximity to South and Southeast Asia. The Summit also launched the knowledge paper 'Emerging North-East India: Economically and Socially Inclusive Development Strategies.'

Bangladesh and India signed the Standard Operating Procedure to operationalize the 'Agreement on Coastal Shipping' formalized in June 2015. This Agreement will provide huge savings in logistics costs for cargo transport between the two countries, improving bilateral trade. The two parties have also agreed to sign an agreement on passenger and cruise vessels.

A Meeting for the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal Motor Vehicle Agreement (BBIN MVA)on 3-4 December 2015 will finalize the transit fees for goods and passenger vehicles, and discuss other issues, said Bangladesh Road Transport Minister Obaidul Quader. Transport of passengers and goods under the BBIN MVA will formally start in January 2016, with initial restrictions in place.

Several initiatives to improve Bangladesh's connectivity with India's North East region are in the pipeline, to increase people-to-people contact and cross-border business. These include revamping trade infrastructures to connect border points, and expanding Bangladesh's diplomatic and consular presence in India's North East region.

Trial runs to test the effectiveness of the India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) Motor Vehicle Agreement and identify implementation-related issues will begin by December 2015, according to India's Union Road Transport and Highway Secretary Vijay Chibber. Protocols for the IMT MVA are currently being finalized, to be signed by early April 2016.

The Government of India flagged off the first cargo truck under the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal Motor Vehicles Agreement (BBIN MVA) on 1 November 2015 for a trial run from Kolkata, West Bengal to Agartala, Tripura, passing through Dhaka, Bangladesh. The cargo vehicle traveled a distance of only around 640 kilometers, compared to its longertraditional route of 1,550 km.

A Meeting between India's Minister for External Affairs and Governors of the North East region covered key aspects of the 'Act East Policy', including transport connectivity, border trade, and regional production and value chains. The Meeting stressed the need for better connectivity of the North East to a wider region, including Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Thailand, and discussed ongoing and planned cross-border connectivity projects.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay renewed their commitment to pursue the Golden Jubilee Railway line from Hasimara, India to Bhutan during the Chief Minister's call to Prime Minister Tobgay on 5 October 2015. Both sides agreed to review the railway project, and examine ways to resolve land-related issues.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee encouraged private sector delegates to explore a business corridor concept for tourism, small industries and joint venture projects at an India-Bhutan Business Conclave, held in Bhutan. Making West Bengal a gateway to the North East will open up further business opportunities for Bhutan.

Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has extended an invitation for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Sri Lanka in May or June 2016 to sign an agreement on economic and technological cooperation. The two Prime Ministers held discussions on enhancing economic ties between India and Sri Lanka and resuming ferry services during Prime Minister Wickremesinghe's visit to New Delhi, India on 14-16 September 2015.

The Myawaddy-Thin Gan Nyi Naung-Kawkareik section of the Asian Highway linking India, Myanmar, and Thailand (IMT) has become operational, reducing travel time between Thin Gan Nyi Naung and Kawkareik from 3 hours to 45 minutes. This section was constructed beginning 2012 with the assistance of Thailand, and is part of the Greater Mekong Subregion Program.

Read a commentary on the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA) as positive development for the BBIN subregional grouping. The BBIN MVA is a landmark framework agreement that aims to facilitate seamless flow of passenger, personal and cargo vehicular traffic between and among the BBIN countries.

The India-Nepal Cross Border Transport Facilitation Joint Working Group under the bilateral Motor Vehicle Agreement discussed measures to facilitate movement of passenger vehicles across the India-Nepal border. Key recommendations include a web-based solution to issue, monitor, and verify permits, and four new bus routes between India and Nepal.

Construction to improve Pasakha Access Road in Phuentsholing, Bhutan will start in September, said officials from Bhutan's Department of Roads, Ministry of Works and Human Settlement. This road section—a key output of the SASEC Road Connectivity Project in Bhutan—will access a bypass road from Bibarey near Manglabarey, providing trucks and other vehicles an alternate route to industrial sites in Pasakha. Once constructed, it is expected to decongest traffic in Bhutan's Phuentsholing and India

The full $200 million grant pledged by India to Bangladesh for construction of Padma Bridge under a $1 billion loan agreement has been disbursed. A recent meeting between India and Bangladesh also discussed implementation of a $2 billion loan agreement signed during India Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit in June 2015.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is considering a proposal to establish a rail bridge linking Rameswaram, a coastal pilgrim center in Tamil Nadu and Thalaimannar, Sri Lanka. The two countries would be linked if the project materializes.

Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal formed a subregional grouping under the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Framework, and signed a Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA) allowing seamless transit across each other's territories at the Meeting of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal Transport Ministers on Regional Road Transport Connectivity. Several commentaries from across the region have been published on the BBIN MVA, and are shared below.

The construction of a sea-bridge and an underwater tunnel linking the 23 kilometer stretch between Talaimannar, Sri Lanka and Dhanushkodi, India is under discussion, according to India’s Transport Minister, Nitin Gadkari. The sea bridge would help expand the trans-South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation road and transport network.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is set to further enhance transport connectivity within Bangladesh, and between Bangladesh and India, through the SASEC Railway Connectivity: Akhaura-Laksam Double Track Project. This $505 million ADB project will upgrade critical sections of Bangladesh Railway's Dhaka-Chittagong corridor and boost its market share in freight services.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Agreement on Coastal Shipping between India and Bangladesh to carry out coastal movement of goods between the two countries. Bangladesh is currently India’s largest trade partner in South Asia and the coastal route is expected to provide an alternative route for transportation of import-export cargo between the two countries.

The State Government of Andhra Pradesh and the Asian Development Bank reviewed the inception report for the Regional Perspective Plan of the Vizag-Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC), India’s first coastal corridor on 29 May in Hyderabad, India. Industrial analysis, infrastructure development and business regulatory reform proposals were presented.

A month after India pledged another Line of Credit to Bangladesh, the Economic Relations Division, Ministry of Finance of the Government of Bangladesh prepared 11 development project proposals on various sectors including transport, education, information technology, and energy. The total cost of the proposed projects is estimated at $2.71 billion.

At the seminar on ‘Bangladesh-India Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade: Challenges and Opportunities’, held in Dhaka, Bangladesh on 13 May 2015, policy and economic experts urged the two governments to remove navigation problems, reform customs procedures, develop ports, address lack of infrastructure facilities, and resolve policy constraints to tap into the potential of inland water transit.

More than 170 tons of relief goods was sent by India to Nepal using the rail route from Old Delhi to Raxaul, in response to the earthquake in Nepal. Senior officials of India's National Disaster Management Authority supervised this relief effort. India's West Bengal Government also gave assistance by coordinating needed relief items with the Government of Nepal and the Nepal Army.

A coastal shipping agreement between Bangladesh and India was ratified on 21 April 2015 in New Delhi. Bangladesh Shipping Secretary Shafiq Alam Mehedi and Indian Shipping Secretary Rajib Kumar ratified the deal to facilitate trade and transportation of goods through water routes between the two countries.

ADB and the Government of India signed a $300 million loan agreement on 26 March 2014 to improve road connectivity and increase domestic and regional trade along the North Bengal-Northeastern Region international trade corridor. This loan is the first under a $500 million multitranche South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Road Connectivity Investment Program (SRCIP) approved by ADB in 2014.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SAARC CCI) plans to form subregional blocs that will address common economic issues of its member countries to increase intra-regional trade.  This was proposed under the SAARC CCI Action Plan for 2015, tabled during a joint session of SAARC CCI's 62nd Executive Committee and 20th General Assembly in New Delhi, India on 10 March 2015.

Works to improve road connectivity and facilitate trade between Bhutan and India are set to begin soon along the Phuentsholing-Jaigaon border. An Asian Development Bank-financed project under the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) program will construct a bypass road from Jaigaon, India to Pasakha in Bhutan and include a mini-dry port in Phuentsholing. A land customs station will also be constructed in Pasakha to monitor the bypass road.

An agreement that will enable seamless transit of  passenger and goods along designated key routes in the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal (BBIN) subregion is in the pipeline. It will reduce costly and time-consuming unloading and loading of people and cargo at border crossing points. The agreement would help transform transport corridors linking BBIN into economic corridors and enhance people-to-people contact.

Bangladesh Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed and India Minister for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman jointly inaugurated the first border market (“haat”) along the Tripura-Bangladesh frontier on 13 January 2015. Both ministers spoke optimistically about new opportunities for trade during the inauguration ceremony.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa marked the completion of the 38 km long Pallai-Jaffna railway line under the Indian credit line of $800 million last 13 October 2014. The reconstruction of this Northern Railway line by IRCON International Ltd, a public sector enterprise under the Government of India, links Sri Lanka’s conflict-ridden Northern Province to Colombo.

The Government of Nepal has requested financing from the Government of India for construction of bridges across the Terai as part of the second phase of a road project linking the East-West Highway to several border points. Around 62 bridges are required for the project.

In follow-up to the limited pilot run of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific's Secure Cross-border Transport Model, officials from India and Bhutan Customs administrations participated in trial runs of 80 vehicles along the Kolkata-Jaigon-Phuentsholing transit corridor between Bhutan and India on 1—5 September 2014.

Following a meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the sidelines of an India-Bangladesh business conclave on 24 August 2014, Tripura Industries and Commerce Minister Tapan Chakraborty said that Bangladesh will allow neighboring countries to use Ashuganj and Chittagong sea ports for multi-modal transport. This move is expected to further enhance economic integration among South Asian countries.

Bangladesh Finance Minister Mr. Abul Maal Abdul Muhith told reporters that good relations between Bangladesh and India are beneficial to both countries. Prior to the press interview, Finance Minister Muhith met with visiting Asian Development Bank Vice President Mr. Bindu Lohani to discuss further enhancing connectivity between Bangladesh and India.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a two-day visit to Kathmandu, Nepal on 3-4 August 2014, the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister in 17 years. At a speech delivered to the Parliament of Nepal, Modi announced India’s desire to help Nepal and offered an additional soft loan of US $1 billion for energy projects and infrastructure development.

China initially opened the railway to Tibet’s capital, Lhasa, in 2006 as part of its national plan to boost development. The railway is envisioned to be linked to Rasuwagadhi, Nepal through the Shigatse-Kerung stretch. Rasuwagadhi is about 500 kilometers from Shigatse. There are plans to extend the railway linking Tibet with the rest of the country during 2016-2020 to two separate points on the border of Nepal and on the border of India and Bhutan.

As part of India’s SASEC Road Connectivity Investment Program, India and Nepal have set up a Joint Technical Task Force for the Mechi River Crossing. The first meeting was held in New Delhi on 4 July 2014 at the Ministry of Road Transport and Highway, Government of India.

The Asian Development Bank-financed Dhaka-Chittagong Expressway Public-Private Partnership Design Project will assist the Government of Bangladesh to prepare detailed engineering design documents of the existing two-lane Dhaka-Chittagong highway that will be developed into a six-lane freeway. It will provide badly-needed additional road capacity. Several firms were chosen in the joint venture that is expected complete the project in 2023.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a multitranche financing facility of $500 million for the SASEC Road Connectivity Investment Program (SRCIP) in March 2014, which aims to increase domestic and regional trade through North Bengal and Northeastern Region (NB-NER) of India. The overall investment program will rehabilitate and upgrade about 500 kilometers (km) of regional connectivity roads, including both national highways and state roads.

On 17 February 2014, the Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $125 million loan for the second tranche of the ADB-financed North Eastern States Road Investment Program, approved in 2013. Reconstruction and rehabilitation of more than 236 kilometers (km) of state roads in Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura will contribute to increased transport efficiency in the project area, as well as better mobility and accessibility in the wider North Eastern region of India.

Following the SASEC Trade Facilitation and Transport Working Group (TFTW) Meeting in Bangkok in October 2011 the TFTWG met again in Kolkata on 5 March 2012 and agreed on a list of investment and technical assistance projects.