Kathmandu, Jan 26 (AHN) The 77th Republic Day of India was celebrated at the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu on Monday with the participation of members of the Indian community and 'friends of India' in Nepal, the Embassy said.

Republic Day is celebrated in India to commemorate the enforcement of the Indian Constitution and the country’s transition to a republic, which came into effect on January 26, 1950.

The event commenced with the hoisting of the national flag by the Charge d’Affaires of the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, Rakesh Pandey. Subsequently, a video of President Droupadi Murmu’s address to the nation on the eve of the 77th Republic Day was screened.

On the occasion, Charge d’Affaires Pandey honoured the widows and next of kin of deceased personnel of the Indian Armed Forces and handed over Army Group Insurance Fund (AGIF) cheques amounting to NPR 7.2 crore, the Embassy said.

A video highlighting the significant progress in India–Nepal relations over the past year was also screened at the event.

The occasion also featured vibrant dance and musical performances by students and teachers from the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre of the Embassy, along with Nepali artists.

The event witnessed participation from members of the Indian community, friends of India in Nepal, as well as the Embassy officials and their families.

A day ahead of Republic Day, the Embassy also released a special publication commemorating the occasion. The publication highlighted bilateral cooperation between the two countries, including India’s contribution to Nepal through its High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs), earlier known as the Small Development Projects scheme, since its inception in 2003.

A total of 591 projects have been undertaken under the scheme since 2003, of which 506 have been completed and 85 are ongoing. The estimated cost of implementing these projects stands at NPR 15.37 billion.

Likewise, India has been assisting Nepal in facilitating elections since the 2008 Constituent Assembly elections by providing vehicles and other required materials.

With Nepal holding parliamentary polls on March 5, the Indian Embassy said the southern neighbour is set to gift 650 vehicles to Nepal, of which over 60 were handed over on January 20.

In 2025, India gifted 40 ambulances, 81 school buses, and 15 electric vehicles to Nepal.

The publication also highlighted initiatives undertaken by the Indian Embassy to enhance people-to-people relations between the two countries. One such initiative was the launch of the India–Nepal Startup Partnership Network (IN-SPAN) launched last year.

There was enthusiastic participation from Nepali startups, and after a transparent and competitive process, 24 Nepali startups were selected to attend an eight-week incubation programme at IIT Madras’s ‘Pravartak’, a technology incubator located at the IIT Madras Research Park.

These startups, from diverse sectors such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, space, ed-tech, legal-tech, climate-tech, IT SaaS, agri-tech, and solar energy, have been engaging with Indian counterparts, mentors, and investors to benefit from India’s vibrant startup ecosystem.

“The IN-SPAN programme has laid the foundation for future collaborations between the youth of our two countries,” the Embassy said.