Jaishankar In Bhutan: Hospital, Bridge Opened, Hydropower Project Begins

India's external affairs minister, S Jaishankar, inaugurated a maternal and child hospital and a bridge in eastern Bhutan and laid the foundation stone for a hydropower project in the north of the country on Wednesday, the first day of a two-day official visit.

Jaishankar is visiting Bhutan on 16 and 17 September at the invitation of the country's minister of foreign affairs and external trade, DN Dhungyel, according to a statement issued in New Delhi on 16 September.

Image Source: @DrSJaishankar on X

The statement said Jaishankar would hold bilateral talks with Dhungyel, have a royal audience with Bhutan's king, and call on Bhutan's prime minister. It described the visit as in keeping with the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries, and as intended to strengthen their close ties of friendship and cooperation.

Jaishankar arrived in Paro and was welcomed by Dhungyel, he shared in a post on X.

He later met Dhungyel in Bumthang, where the two ministers reviewed cooperation between the two countries. Jaishankar described Bumthang as a spiritual and historical centre of Bhutan. "Our conversation focused on advancing our multifaceted engagement in development partnership," he wrote.

Jaishankar said he joined Dhungyel in three projects. They laid the foundation stone for the 500-kilowatt Lunana hydropower project in Gasa, northern Bhutan. They inaugurated the 65-bed Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Mother & Child Hospital in Mongar. They also inaugurated the 80-metre Jaganathan Bridge in Samdrup Jongkhar.

Jaishankar called the hydropower project "a proud milestone" in energy cooperation between the two countries. He traced that cooperation back to Bhutan's first hydroelectric plant, Jungshina in Thimphu, in 1967, and said the new project would connect Bhutan's last settlements without electricity.

He said the hospital would strengthen access to specialised maternal and child care in eastern Bhutan.

India - Bhutan partnership in action. Have a look.

🇮🇳 🇧🇹 pic.twitter.com/qDmPwqxtNs

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 16, 2026

The bridge was built by Project Dantak and will improve connectivity between Trashigang and Samdrup Jongkhar in eastern Bhutan, Jaishankar said. He described it as a Bhutan-India friendship project.

At the National Cattle Breeding Centre in Bumthang, Jaishankar handed over 43 pureline Jersey cows from India for Bhutan's dairy cattle breeding programme. He said the cows were intended to increase milk productivity and support local farmers, and that the centre's breeding programme would benefit 40,000 farmers.

He also visited the Wangduechhoeling Palace and Museum in Bumthang. He said the former royal residence and court showcased Bhutan's history, art, craft and architecture. "It is a testimony to the role of Bhutanese monarchy in building a modern Bhutan," he wrote.

Jaishankar also visited Kurjey Lhakhang, which he described as sacred. He said he prayed there for the well-being of the people and for India-Bhutan ties.