External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Saturday, 6 June virtually handed over 72 health facilities and 12 cultural heritage projects to Nepal under India's Reconstruction Programme following the 2015 earthquake, capping a wide-ranging bilateral meeting with his Nepali counterpart Shisir Khanal in New Delhi. The handover marks a significant milestone in post-disaster reconstruction cooperation between the two neighbours, nearly a decade after the devastating quake.

Key Deliverables from the Meeting

Beyond the infrastructure handover, both ministers jointly launched the linkage between UPI (Unified Payments Interface) and Nepal's National Payments Interface, enabling cross-border personal remittances between the two countries. The move is expected to ease fund transfers for the large Nepali diaspora working in India.

The two sides also witnessed the exchange of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Digital India Bhashini and Kathmandu University to co-create a National Digital Infrastructure for a 'Voice First' Language Translation platform tailored for Nepal.

What Jaishankar Said

Jaishankar shared the outcomes directly on social media platform X, saying: 'Following up on the productive meeting with Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal, handed over virtually 72 health facilities and 12 cultural heritage projects under Reconstruction Programme post 2015 Earthquake.' He added that India 'reiterated its commitment to work with Nepal for mutual progress, prosperity and well-being of our people.'

In his opening remarks during the meeting, Jaishankar described the bilateral relationship as built on 'a strong foundation of vibrant people-to-people ties, cross-border connections, and shared cultural and religious traditions,' anchored by 'shared trust, goodwill, and mutual benefit.'

Broader Partnership Agenda

The two ministers held detailed discussions spanning development cooperation, connectivity, energy — particularly hydropower development — education, health, capacity building, digital infrastructure, culture, and sports. Jaishankar also flagged emerging domains such as startups, artificial intelligence, information technology, and renewable energy as areas where bilateral collaboration could be deepened.

Notably, Jaishankar highlighted that India has maintained uninterrupted fuel supplies to Nepal amid the ongoing crisis in the West Asian region, underscoring the strategic dimension of the energy partnership.

Security and Border Cooperation

Both sides also acknowledged close collaboration in maintaining security along their 'long and uniquely open border,' a reference to the 1,850-km India-Nepal border that allows free movement of people. This comes amid broader regional conversations about border management and cross-border connectivity infrastructure.

With the reconstruction handover now formalised and digital payment linkages activated, the India-Nepal partnership appears to be entering a new phase — one that blends legacy commitments with next-generation cooperation frameworks.