Gelephu (Bhutan), has been an important tourist destination at India-Bhutan crossing.
Roughly 41km from Kajalgaon, headquarter of Chirang, 50 km from Bongaigaon, and 340 km from Siliguri, India.
Conventionally, this border crossing is mostly used for shipping and business between Bhutan and India. However, in the wake of India-Bhutan cooperation for the 2500 square kilometers "Zero Carbon City" in Gelephu and giving a solid traction to "Gelephu Mindfulness City", its new positioning is of a hub of knowledge, technology, and finance, grounded in the values of mindfulness, sustainability and harmony.
As said by the Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, "Gelephu embodies the co-operative spirit, as every citizen of Bhutan is both a shareholder and a stakeholder, actively participating in this significant initiative."
Since the announcement of plans for the Gelephu city in December 2023, situated to the south of Bhutan and bordering Assam, Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck has visited India twice to discuss his plans for the city, and to seek investment and collaborations from the Indian private sector in infrastructure development, bringing projects in the areas like hotels and hospitality, educational institutions, IT and wellness centres.
India responded positively to it and Gelephu is fast becoming an attractive investment destination, giving the city a new dimension of development.
To further enhance the bilateral economic cooperation between India and Bhutan besides the subregional/regional cooperation (including Nepal as an important trilateral ally of India and Bhutan) with focus on "India's Look East Policy" as part of its South East Asia outreach, in association with Vis Inc and The Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCCI) and under the aegis of its “India-Nepal Centre”, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) organised the "Gelephu Roadshow - Where Mindfulness Meets the Future: Connecting India and Bhutan for Sustainable Development and Global Cooperation" on 17 July 2025 at Kolkata, India. The Roadshow witnessed the participation of leading industry captains and stakeholders of India-Bhutan businesses besides concerned diplomats.
The Gelephu Mindfulness City was represented by Kinley P Dorji, Communication Lead (Director, GMC Affairs & Secretary, GMC Board), Gelephu Mindfulness City Authority, Bhutan and Ugyen Tenzin, CEO, DK Bank. In GMC’s detailed presentation, Kinley P Dorji called for partnerships and invited potential investors to explore a long-term promising project “Gelephu Mindfulness City” that will have significant focus on specialized (in nature’s surrounding) infrastructure, sustainable tourism, wellness, education and spiritualism.
Atul K Thakur, Secretary, India-Nepal Centre, PHDCCI moderated the sessions. Among other key speakers were: Dr Shiladitya Chatterjee, Economic Adviser (National Economic Affairs Committee), The Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCCI); Anand Jha, Vice President(Head of Government Engagement: India & South Asia), Visa Inc; Anirudha Barooah, Regional Head, Kolkata Regional Office, Export-Import Bank of India (India Exim Bank); Jhakka Prasad Acharya, Consul General of Nepal, Kolkata, India; Dr Vidyanand Jha, IIM Calcutta; Dushyant Thakor, Deputy Executive Director, World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA); Binod Homagai, Co-Founder & COO, WoW Momo; Bikas Rauniar, Executive Director, Interstate Multi Modal Transport (P) Ltd; Subir Bhaumik, Contributing Editor (South Asia), Eurasia Review (Formerly: Eastern India Bureau Chief, BBC)
The “Gelephu Roadshow 2025”, held in Kolkata (India) shall further help Bhutan’s ambitious strategic development project “Gelephu Mindfulness City” with drawing institutional collaborations and investment.
