AGP Executive Report

BIMSTEC Security & Finance: BIMSTEC wrapped up a regional AML/CFT capacity-building programme in Shillong, aiming to strengthen member states’ anti-money laundering and anti-terror financing readiness ahead of FATF-style mutual evaluations. Regional Security Cooperation: BIMSTEC’s 5th National Security Chiefs meeting in New Delhi produced practical maritime guidelines for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and for law-enforcement conduct at sea, reflecting growing Bay of Bengal security pressure. Bhutan Climate Risk: Bhutan’s National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology warns that a Super El Niño could speed glacier melt and raise Glacial Lake Outburst Flood risk, with Thorthormi Lake in Lunana flagged as the most hazardous. Bhutan Industry & Environment: Bhutan’s Department of Industry reports stronger environmental compliance monitoring for industrial and delegated activities, including checks on pollution control, waste management, and Environmental Clearance conditions. Bhutan Jobs & Skills: A part-time employment system is starting to turn registrations into real work placements for students and employers, showing early promise while exposing gaps to fix. Bhutan Economic Growth: The feasibility study for the Bokajuli Industrial Park in Samdrup Jongkhar is complete, paving the way for a new industrial hub near the Assam border. Tech & Training (South Asia): Loft Dynamics’ VR H125 simulator will be installed by Indocopters in India to expand helicopter pilot training capacity across the region.

BIMSTEC AML/CFT Push: BIMSTEC wrapped a two-day capacity-building programme in Shillong, Meghalaya, to help member states strengthen anti-money laundering and anti-terror financing skills and prepare for FATF-style mutual evaluations. Regional Security Coordination: BIMSTEC’s security chiefs also advanced practical maritime cooperation, adopting non-binding guidelines for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and endorsing principles for maritime law enforcement at sea. Bhutan Climate Risk Watch: Bhutan is bracing for Super El Niño impacts, with warmer conditions expected to accelerate glacier melt and raise Glacial Lake Outburst Flood risk—especially from Thorthormi Lake in Lunana. Renewables Incentives: Bhutan’s Ministry of Finance rolled out a Renewable Energy Tax Exemption framework to cut customs, excise and GST costs for approved clean-energy projects, aiming to attract investment beyond hydropower. Industrial Growth in the East: Bhutan’s feasibility study for the Bokajuli Industrial Park in Samdrup Jongkhar is complete, clearing the way for a new industrial hub near the Assam border. Local Jobs via Skills: Bhutan’s part-time employment system is starting to convert registrations into real work experience for students, though early challenges remain. STEM & Learning: 84000 announced completion of its English translation of the longest Tibetan Buddhist sutra, The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines.

Bhutan’s Renewable Push: The Ministry of Finance has rolled out a time-bound tax incentive framework under Bhutan’s Renewable Energy Tax Exemption Act 2026, offering customs duty, excise tax and GST relief for approved renewable projects to help attract investment and scale clean power toward 25 GW. Climate Risk for Bhutan: With a Super El Niño developing, Bhutan faces higher heat and faster glacier melt, raising Glacial Lake Outburst Flood risk—especially around Thorthormi Lake in Lunana—prompting stepped-up monitoring and preparedness. Energy, Industry, and Compliance: As Bhutan expands industrial activity, the Department of Industry reports stronger environmental compliance inspections across 2025–26, focusing on pollution control, waste management and Environmental Clearance conditions. Regional Tech & Training: Loft Dynamics’ VR full-motion H125 simulator is set to be installed by Indocopters in India, expanding South Asia’s helicopter pilot training capacity—relevant to operators already serving Bhutan and the wider region. Himalayan Data for Better Forecasts: A citizen-science effort, HiM-DATA, is using Himalayan monasteries to host automated weather stations, aiming to improve high-altitude climate observations where conventional monitoring is weak. Safety Alert from the Region: A methane explosion in an under-construction hydropower tunnel in India’s Sikkim has killed at least 20 workers, with rescue efforts hampered by toxic gas and low visibility.

Renewables Push in Bhutan: Bhutan’s Ministry of Finance has rolled out a time-bound tax incentive framework under the Renewable Energy Tax Exemption Act 2026, offering customs duty, excise tax and GST relief for approved renewable projects—aimed at cutting upfront costs and speeding clean power investment toward a 25 GW target. Climate Risk for Bhutan: A Super El Niño is expected to bring hotter, drier conditions and faster glacier melt, raising Glacial Lake Outburst Flood risk—especially around Thorthormi Lake in Lunana—while Bhutan’s glacier assessment reports 27 glaciers lost and 9.16% less glacier area since 2016. Higher Education Planning: Tsirang’s proposed college under a PPP model is still in the exploratory stage, with no formal proposal submitted yet, pending feasibility on demand, finance, faculty, governance and quality assurance. Wildlife & Community Data: In Nubri, Snow Leopard Women’s Groups—supported by WWF-Bhutan—are helping record livestock attacks via phone-based reporting to improve human-wildlife conflict response where services are far away. Honey Tech in Bumthang: Flow hive technology is making honey harvesting faster and less disruptive for beekeepers in Bumthang, letting honey flow from frames through a tap. Consumer Tech Watch: Bhutan’s CCAA says refund refusals and undelivered goods topped complaints last fiscal year, with most cases resolved through mediation and refunds facilitated.

Renewables Push: Bhutan’s Ministry of Finance has rolled out a Renewable Energy Tax Exemption framework under the 2026 Act, offering time-bound customs duty, excise tax and GST relief for approved clean-energy projects to help the country diversify beyond hydropower toward 25 GW. Industrial Expansion: The Bokajuli Industrial Park feasibility study is complete, clearing the way for an ~180-acre hub in Samdrup Jongkhar near the Assam border to attract investment, create jobs and strengthen cross-border trade links. Higher Education Planning: In Tsirang, a PPP college plan is still only exploratory—no formal proposal has been submitted—pending feasibility work on demand, finances, programmes and governance. Climate & Water Security: Bhutan’s latest glacier inventory reports 27 glaciers lost and a 9.16% drop in glacier area from 2016 to 2025, raising risks for rivers, agriculture and hydropower. Community Tech for Conservation: In Nubri, Snow Leopard Women’s Groups are using phone-based reporting to document livestock attacks and improve human-wildlife conflict response with forest offices and WWF-Bhutan. Consumer Tech & Trust: Bhutan’s consumer authority says refund refusals and undelivered goods were the top complaint drivers last fiscal year, with most cases resolved and refunds facilitated. Agri-Innovation: Flow hive technology is helping Bumthang beekeepers harvest honey faster and with less stress on colonies. Regional Security Tech: BIMSTEC security chiefs in New Delhi adopted maritime HADR and law-enforcement interaction guidelines, reflecting India-led efforts to coordinate practical security in the Bay of Bengal.

Himalayan Climate Watch: Bhutan has lost 27 glaciers and 57.69 sq km of ice since 2016–2025, with the Bhutan Glacier Inventory 2026 reporting a 9.16% drop—raising concerns for water, agriculture, hydropower and disaster risk. Citizen Science for Weather: A new HiM-DATA initiative is using Himalayan monasteries to host automated weather stations, aiming to improve high-altitude monitoring where conventional stations struggle. Human-Wildlife Coexistence: In Nubri, Snow Leopard Women’s Groups—supported by WWF-Bhutan—are helping record livestock attacks via phone-based reporting to strengthen responses to predators like snow leopards and Tibetan wolves. Sustainable Tech in Bhutan: Ecopha DrukBees has opened as an Australia–Bhutan collaboration to develop a traceable biorefinery model turning non-edible crops into sustainable aviation fuel and biodegradable plastics. Urban Tech & Governance: New Thrompons for Thimphu and Phuentsholing have released manifestos, including daily waste collection, drop-off centres, CCTV for waste monitoring, and new water treatment plans. Consumer Tech & Trust: Bhutan’s CCAA says refund refusals and undelivered goods topped complaints, with most cases resolved and refunds facilitated. Local Innovation: Flow hive technology is helping Bumthang beekeepers harvest honey faster and with less stress on colonies.

Digital Payments & Identity: Eastern Bank PLC and Visa launched the Visa Payment Passkey in Bangladesh, using biometric/device-based authentication to replace passwords and OTPs for safer, smoother online card transactions. Consumer Protection: Bhutan’s Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority reports refund refusals and undelivered goods as top complaint drivers last fiscal year, with most cases resolved and refunds facilitated through mediation. Agri-Tech for Honey: Flow hive technology is helping Bumthang beekeepers harvest “honey on tap,” reducing stress on colonies and making extraction faster and more hygienic. Health Tech Partnership: Bhutan and Japan marked 40 years of cooperation, highlighting Japanese-supported public health upgrades like the Royal Centre for Disease Control and JICA’s iCTG maternal healthcare tool. Jobs in Digital Economy: Gelephu Mindfulness City says early hiring has started for its digital assets and fintech ecosystem, with roles spanning tech, finance, law, business, and customer services. Regional Security Tech: BIMSTEC national security chiefs met in New Delhi, endorsing maritime law enforcement and disaster relief coordination guidelines involving Bhutan and other member states.

Digital Payments Security: Eastern Bank (EBL) and Visa launched the Visa Payment Passkey in Bangladesh, using biometric/device-based authentication to replace OTPs for safer, faster online card transactions. Consumer Protection: Bhutan’s Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority says refund refusals and undelivered goods were the top complaints last fiscal year, with most cases resolved and refunds facilitated through mediation. Agri-Tech for Farmers: Flow hive technology is helping Bumthang beekeepers harvest honey faster and with less stress on colonies by letting honey flow via taps instead of dismantling frames. Healthcare Tech Partnership: Bhutan and Japan marked 40 years of cooperation, highlighting Japanese-backed upgrades like the Royal Centre for Disease Control and iCTG maternal healthcare support. Regional Tech & Security: BIMSTEC national security chiefs met in New Delhi, adopting maritime law enforcement and disaster relief guidelines and pushing joint action on cyber, maritime, terrorism and organised crime. Sustainable Aviation & Plastics: Bhutan is set to host a project turning Pongamia seeds into sustainable aviation fuel and biodegradable plastics.

Bhutan–Japan Partnership: Bhutan and Japan marked 40 years of diplomatic ties, reviewing progress in health, education, disaster preparedness and new cooperation areas at the 21st Bhutan–Japan Annual Consultation in Thimphu, including Japanese-backed upgrades like the Royal Centre for Disease Control and iCTG maternal care support. Digital Economy Jobs in Bhutan: Gelephu Mindfulness City says its digital assets and fintech ecosystem has already hired 10+ Bhutanese, with more roles expected across finance, law, business, communications, hospitality and tech skills like cybersecurity and data analytics. Regional Security Tech & Policy: India hosted the 5th BIMSTEC National Security Chiefs’ meeting with Bhutan among members, where leaders backed practical steps against terrorism, organised crime and cyber threats, and adopted maritime guidelines for humanitarian disaster relief and safer law-enforcement coordination at sea. AI Tools Shift: Google’s Gemini is still catching up in complex instruction-following, while ChatGPT Atlas is shutting down—prompting users to explore other AI web browsers. Conservation & Tourism Planning (Assam): Assam’s Kaziranga tourism stakeholders met to prepare for the next wildlife season, aiming to balance visitor facilities with stronger conservation coordination.

Bhutan-Japan Partnership: Bhutan and Japan marked 40 years of cooperation, reviewing progress and pointing to new health, education, disaster preparedness and life-saving healthcare technologies, including Japan-supported upgrades like the Royal Centre for Disease Control and JICA’s Integral Cardiotocography for remote maternal care. Gelephu Mindfulness City Jobs: Gelephu Mindfulness City says early hiring has already started for Bhutanese in its digital assets and fintech ecosystem, with more roles expected across finance, law, cybersecurity, data, hospitality and even artisan work. BIMSTEC Security Push: In New Delhi, BIMSTEC national security chiefs chaired by India’s Ajit Doval backed practical steps against terrorism, organised crime and cyber threats, and adopted maritime guidelines for humanitarian disaster relief and safer law-enforcement coordination at sea—covering member states including Bhutan. Kaziranga Tourism & Conservation: Assam’s forest minister held stakeholder consultations to shape a roadmap for the next wildlife tourism season at Kaziranga, asking for written recommendations within 10 days to improve visitor facilities and conservation coordination. Himalayan Climate & Water Risk (Bhutan): Bhutan reported its warmest year, with climate assessments flagging growing risks to water and glaciers.

Bhutan–Japan Partnership: Bhutan and Japan marked 40 years of diplomatic ties, with officials in Thimphu reviewing progress and mapping new cooperation in health, education, disaster preparedness and life-saving technologies, including the Royal Centre for Disease Control and JICA’s iCTG maternal care tool. Gelephu Digital Jobs: Gelephu Mindfulness City says its fintech and digital assets ecosystem has already hired 10+ Bhutanese, with more roles expected across finance, law, tech, cybersecurity, data work, project management and even hospitality as companies expand. Sustainable Aviation & Plastics: Bhutan is set to host a research and certification hub for a project turning Pongamia tree seeds into sustainable aviation fuel and biodegradable plastics. BIMSTEC Security Push: India hosted the 5th BIMSTEC National Security Chiefs meeting, where members including Bhutan backed practical steps against terrorism, cyber and maritime threats and adopted maritime disaster-relief and law-enforcement coordination guidelines. Climate & Water Risk Context: Recent reporting highlights Bhutan’s warming trend and growing risks to water and glaciers, underscoring why resilience and research partnerships matter now.

Wildlife & Public Safety: Bhutan-linked Assam’s Bodoland Territorial Council launched World Snake Day training on Ethical Snake Rescue and Emergency Response, rolling out a mobile app and an IEC booklet to improve frontline handling of human-snake encounters. Regional Security Tech: India’s NSA Ajit Doval chaired BIMSTEC’s 5th National Security Advisers’ meeting, pushing practical cooperation against terrorism, cyber threats, organised crime and maritime security, and endorsing new maritime law-enforcement and disaster-relief guidelines. Bhutan Digital Jobs: Gelephu Mindfulness City says early hiring is already underway in its digital assets and fintech ecosystem, with roles beyond programmers—finance, law, marketing, hospitality, plus demand for blockchain, cybersecurity, data and financial engineering. Bhutan Economy & SOEs: Bhutan’s state-owned enterprises remain the “backbone,” with a 2025 report showing SOEs contributing 23.06% of GDP in 2023 and a strong profit turnaround, while performance varies across sectors. Investment & Innovation: Druk Holdings and Investments (DHI) reported its strongest FY2025 contribution to government—Nu 24.83 billion—under its 10X Roadmap to expand value and support national development.

Regional Security Talks: BIMSTEC national security chiefs, hosted by India’s NSA Ajit Doval in New Delhi, pledged joint action against terrorism, transnational organised crime and cyber threats, and agreed new guiding principles to streamline maritime law enforcement and humanitarian disaster relief across the Bay of Bengal. Maritime + Disaster Response: The group adopted maritime HADR guidelines aimed at faster, better-coordinated relief operations, alongside reference points to make sea interactions safer and more predictable. Bhutan in the Mix: Bhutan’s delegation joined the meeting alongside Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand, reinforcing the regional push for intelligence-sharing and practical, outcome-focused cooperation. Climate Science for Bhutan: Bhutan released new climate and freshwater assessments showing 2025 as the warmest year on record, with warming, shrinking glaciers and shifting rainfall raising risks for water, infrastructure, agriculture and disaster preparedness. State-Led Economy: Bhutan’s SOEs were reported as a major economic backbone, contributing about a quarter of GDP and posting strong profit growth, with attention on uneven performance across enterprises.

Regional Security (BIMSTEC): Ajit Doval chaired the 5th BIMSTEC National Security Chiefs’ meeting in New Delhi, urging decisive cooperation against terrorism, organised crime and multi-domain threats across cyber, maritime and energy. Maritime Rules for Disaster Response: BIMSTEC members adopted new guiding principles to speed up humanitarian assistance and disaster relief at sea and improve coordination between maritime law enforcement agencies. Bhutan in the Mix: The meeting included Bhutan alongside Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand, with discussions also covering connectivity and responses to emerging threats. Climate Science for Bhutan: Bhutan recorded its warmest year on record in 2025, and new national climate assessments from NCHM highlight rising temperatures, shrinking glaciers and shifting rainfall—key risks for water, glaciers and disaster preparedness. State Investment Update (DHI): Druk Holdings and Investments reported its strongest performance yet, contributing a record Nu 24.83 billion to the government in FY2025 under its 10X Roadmap.

Regional Security: Ajit Doval chaired the 5th BIMSTEC National Security Chiefs’ meeting in New Delhi, bringing together security and intelligence leaders from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand to push practical cooperation on counterterrorism, cybersecurity and maritime security. Bhutan Climate Science: Bhutan recorded its warmest year in 2025, with new NCHM climate assessments showing rising temperatures, shrinking glaciers and shifting rainfall patterns that raise risks for water, glaciers and infrastructure planning. Digital Payments & Trade Tech: SAARCFINANCE governors met in Paro to discuss cross-border digital payments and financial integration, while HNLU completed a TradeLab project with UN ESCAP and CTIL contributing to regional digital trade policy publications that include Bhutan. Sustainable Tourism: Bhutan’s Department of Tourism urged hotels to adopt the Bhutan Green Hotel Standard to strengthen high-value, low-volume tourism with measurable sustainability practices. Energy & Finance (Bhutan): Druk Holdings and Investments (DHI) reported its strongest FY2025 performance, contributing a record Nu 24.83 billion to the government under its 10X Roadmap. Youth & Health Education: Bhutanese youth called for stronger comprehensive sexuality education, better youth-friendly health services and more say in policymaking during a youth-led advocacy programme.

Digital Payments: Bank of Ceylon launched BOC Flex Tap & Pay, a contactless mobile wallet payment feature built on its next-gen internet and mobile banking platform. Cross-Border Digital Trade: HNLU completed its first TradeLab project with UN ESCAP and CTIL, feeding into regional digital trade policy and integration reports that include Bhutan. Regional Cyber & Maritime Security: India hosted BIMSTEC security chiefs to push cooperation on counter-terrorism, maritime security and cybersecurity. Climate & Water Risks: Bhutan marked its warmest year on record in 2025, with new national climate assessments warning of shrinking glaciers and higher risks to water, infrastructure and agriculture. Glacier Loss Update: A new Bhutan Glacier Inventory (BGI 2026) reports 27 glaciers lost and nearly 10% glacier area reduction since 2016–2025. Sustainable Tourism: Bhutan’s Department of Tourism urged hotels to adopt the Bhutan Green Hotel Standard to cut environmental impact and align with global sustainability benchmarks. Youth & Health Education: A Bhutan youth advocacy programme called for stronger comprehensive sexuality education, better youth-friendly health services, and more youth voice in policy. Food Affordability: Bhutan’s egg prices stayed high, adding pressure on household budgets and raising concerns for nutrition access. Mining Revenue Rules: Bhutan revised minimum floor prices for mineral exports to strengthen royalty collection and prevent undervaluation.