IGSC Meeting on India-Nepal Trade and Transit

During the meeting of the 'India-Nepal Inter-Governmental Sub-Committee (IGSC) on Trade, Transit and Cooperation to Combat Unauthorised Trade' held on September 16–17, 2026, at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi, both nations reviewed several issues related to trade, transit, and connectivity.

Key Highlights

Delegation: The Indian delegation was led by Ujjwal Kumar Ghosh, Joint Secretary, Department of Commerce, and the Nepalese delegation was led by Buddha Bahadur Gurung, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies.
Bilateral Mechanism: IGSC serves as the institutional mechanism for a comprehensive review of trade and trade-related issues between the two nations, facilitating bilateral trade and transit.
Market Access: Both sides discussed issues concerning enhanced market access for agricultural and dairy products, food products, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and AYUSH products.
Customs Cooperation: Discussions included pre-arrival information exchange, electronic verification of Certificates of Origin, customs automation, and digitization.
Transit & Connectivity: Both countries reviewed rail and road connectivity, freight movement, Integrated Check Posts (ICPs), and land port infrastructure, focusing on removing operational bottlenecks.
Unauthorized Trade: Both parties highlighted strengthening cooperation between relevant agencies to combat unauthorized trade and commercial fraud while facilitating legitimate cross-border trade.
India-Nepal Trade: India remains Nepal's largest trading partner and a major source of investment.