The catastrophic flash floods that struck Nepal in late August once again exposed the Himalayan nation’s extraordinary vulnerability to climate-related disasters. The floods devastated communities, destroyed roads and bridges, damaged hydropower facilities, and left thousands dead or missing.
In Nepal’s hour of need, India responded as a dependable first responder. Within hours, it dispatched humanitarian supplies and essential medicines. By August 30, India had delivered 68.5 tonnes of relief materials in four tranches while also sending technical teams, forensic experts and specialised equipment. India offered the support of its National Disaster Response Force and responded to Nepal’s request for assistance in restoring transport links, including the construction of temporary Bailey bridges.
This rapid mobilisation captures the broader promise of India’s leadership of BRICS in 2026. When leaders gather at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on September 12–13, India will bring to the summit a model of international engagement that links global leadership with practical responsibility toward its neighbours.
India’s BRICS chairship is guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” For Nepal, these are not abstract diplomatic concepts. They represent the foundations of a safer and more prosperous future: disaster-resilient infrastructure, clean energy, improved connectivity, digital inclusion and access to development finance.
India is already Nepal’s most important economic and development partner. The relationship is supported by an open border, extensive cultural ties and deep connections among families, businesses, students and workers. India has invested in Nepal’s roads, rail links, integrated border posts, healthcare, education and energy infrastructure. Its response to the latest floods extends a long record of assistance during earthquakes, landslides and other emergencies.
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Energy cooperation has become one of the partnership’s greatest success stories. Nepal possesses enormous hydropower potential, while India provides investment, transmission connectivity and access to a vast electricity market. Nepal’s power exports to India are generating revenue and strengthening the country’s external position.
India has also enabled Nepal to sell electricity to Bangladesh through the Indian grid. This landmark trilateral arrangement demonstrates New Delhi’s ability to transform geography into shared opportunity. Nepal gains a wider market for clean electricity, Bangladesh receives renewable power, and India serves as the central connector of an emerging South Asian energy system.
The recent floods, including damage to hydropower projects, underscore the importance of making this infrastructure more resilient. India’s experience in tunnel rescue, satellite monitoring, hydrology, engineering and disaster management gives Nepal access to capabilities that few partners can provide with comparable speed or geographic proximity.
Through its BRICS presidency, India is placing resilience at the centre of the Global South’s development agenda. Cooperation in climate forecasting, disaster finance, resilient construction and clean-energy technology can complement the extensive work that India and Nepal are already undertaking bilaterally.
Connectivity is another area in which Indian leadership is delivering visible benefits. Cross-border railway links, integrated check posts, highways, petroleum pipelines and improved customs systems are steadily reducing the costs imposed by Nepal’s landlocked geography. Access to Indian ports provides Nepal with an essential gateway to global markets.
These projects do more than move goods. They connect Nepali producers to supply chains, enable tourists and pilgrims to travel more easily, and bring border communities closer to economic opportunities. Digital customs systems and payment links can deepen these gains for small businesses, students and migrant workers.
Finance remains central to Nepal’s development ambitions. The New Development Bank, created by the BRICS countries, finances infrastructure in clean energy, transport, water, environmental protection and digital systems. India, as a founding member of both BRICS and the NDB, has consistently championed a stronger development voice for emerging economies.
Nepal is not a BRICS member, but India’s chairship is giving neighbouring developing countries greater relevance in discussions on South-South cooperation. Co-financing, technical partnerships and collaboration with regional institutions offer realistic pathways for Nepal to benefit from the expertise and financial ecosystem associated with BRICS.
India’s leadership is particularly valuable because it does not require Nepal to enter an exclusive geopolitical camp. New Delhi’s approach combines bilateral cooperation, regional connectivity and engagement with broader multilateral institutions. This gives Kathmandu the space to diversify its partnerships while remaining anchored in the economic realities of its geography.
The human dimension is equally important. Indian educational institutions train Nepali students, Indian hospitals treat Nepali patients, and millions of citizens cross the open border for work, worship and family visits. Digital payments, telemedicine and mutual recognition of skills are adding new layers to this historic relationship.
The New Delhi summit comes at a moment of grief for Nepal. Yet it also demonstrates what India’s leadership means in practice. India did not wait for a summit declaration before acting. Its aircraft carried medicines and relief supplies while rescue operations were still underway. Its experts arrived when Nepal required specialised capabilities. Its connectivity and energy partnerships are already helping Nepal build the foundations of long-term prosperity.
India’s support for Nepal is therefore not merely a promise for the future. It is visible in emergency relief, electricity transmission, railway links, border infrastructure and daily human connections. Through BRICS, India is taking this neighbourhood-first approach to a larger global platform, demonstrating that leadership of the Global South begins by standing firmly beside the neighbour next door.
The author is Editor at Daily Milap, India
