Nepali authorities said they have already begun preparations for Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s much-anticipated visit to India.

Lok Bahadur Poudel Chhetri, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), confirmed the upcoming visit and said preparations are underway. However, he added that MoFA would announce the date and agenda later.

Some media reports claim that the prime minister is likely to embark on a two-day visit beginning September 16.

Oli, chairman of the CPN (UML), returned to Baluwatar for a fourth term on July 15, 2024.

In September last year, Oli met his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. The two met again in April this year during the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok—a meeting Oli and his party leaders described as productive. However, Modi did not extend a formal invitation to Oli to visit Delhi at that time.

Although most Nepali prime ministers choose New Delhi as their first international destination after assuming office, Oli instead visited Beijing in early December 2024—reportedly after waiting months for an invitation from Modi.

During that visit, Nepal and China signed an agreement on a framework for Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation, more than seven-and-a-half years after signing the Memorandum of Understanding on the BRI.

Observers say Oli has been eager to secure an official invitation to New Delhi—considered important for easing longstanding tensions between the two countries over several unresolved issues.

Talk of Oli’s India visit also comes amid political stirrings in Kathmandu following the return of former President Bidya Devi Bhandari—a longtime ally turned rival of Oli—to active party politics.

The prime minister is reportedly facing internal challenges not just from coalition partners but from factions within his own party.