The Prime Minister (PM) of Bhutan His Excellency (HE) Dasho Tshering Tobgay visited India from February 20 to 21, 2025 to participate in the inaugural ‘Leadership Conclave of the School of Ultimate Leadership (SOUL)’and to deepen the unique and historical partnership.
- During his visit, he held bilateral meetings with PM of India Narendra Modi, reinforcing the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two nations.
- He also held meeting with Union Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Ministry of Railways (MoR), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) & Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY); Union Minister, Kiren Rijiju, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs (MPA), Ministry of Minority Affair (MoMA); Union Minister of State (MoS) Pabitra Margherita, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
About SOUL Leadership Conclave:
i.On February 21 2025, PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the inaugural ‘SOUL Leadership Conclave 2025’ at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi (Delhi).
- SOUL is an important milestone in the development journey of ‘Viksit Bharat’.
ii.PM of Bhutan, Dasho Tshering Tobgay, graced the event and delivered the keynote address as the Guest of Honor.
- The ceremony was graced by Sudhir Mehta, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SOUL; SOUL Board Members; Dr. Hasmukh Adhia, Former Finance Secretary to the Government of India (GoI) and Chairman of the SOUL Executive Committee.
iii.The two-day SOUL Leadership Conclave, from February 21 to 22, 2025 was a premier platform for leaders across diverse fields, including politics, sports, arts, media, spirituality, public policy, business, and social sectors, to share their inspiring journeys and discuss leadership insights.
iv.The conclave aims to foster collaboration and thought leadership, enabling learning from both successes and failures to inspire young audiences.
v.SOUL, based in Gujarat, is an emerging leadership institution focused on nurturing authentic leaders committed to advancing public good.
vi.SOUL aims to redefine political leadership in India through formal training, emphasizing merit, commitment, and passion for public service over political lineage, and equipping leaders to navigate complex challenges.
Note: The SOUL campus, planned for development over the next two years at an estimated cost of Rs 150 crore, will cover 22 acres located near Gujarat Biotechnology University on Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) Road in Gujarat.
India-Bhutan Developmental Partnership:
i.India has supported Bhutan’s socio-economic development since the first Five Year Plan in 1971, aligned with Bhutan’s priorities. This cooperation has been aligned with the priorities of the people and Government of Bhutan.
ii.The scope of the development projects span across sectors such as infrastructure development, roads, digital connectivity, energy, agriculture, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), health, education, human resource development and urban development.
About Bhutan:
Prime Minister (PM)- Dasho Tshering Tobgay
Capital- Thimphu
Currency- Bhutanese Ngultrum (BTN)
