Nishchal Nath Pandey, Nepal's proposed ambassador to India, has outlined plans to strengthen bilateral ties by prioritising regular high-level visits and faster resolution of longstanding disputes. His appointment signals Kathmandu's intent to re-energise a relationship marked by unresolved boundary questions, connectivity projects, and power-trade agreements. India remains Nepal's largest trade partner and a key source of foreign investment, making the ambassadorial role pivotal for managing both cooperation and friction in one of South Asia's most consequential bilateral relationships.

India-Nepal relations are governed by the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship, which grants Nepalese citizens near-equal rights in India and underpins the open border between the two countries. Despite deep historical, cultural, and economic linkages, the relationship has periodically been strained by boundary disputes — most visibly over the Kalapani-Lipulekh-Limpiyadhura trijunction, which became a flashpoint in 2020 when Nepal published a revised political map claiming Indian-administered territory. Nepal also shares a border with China, giving it strategic leverage and making it a theatre of India-China competition.

Key bilateral frameworks include the Power Trade Agreement, which allows Nepal to export hydropower to India; the BBIN (Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal) Motor Vehicles Agreement for regional connectivity; and joint infrastructure projects under India's Neighbourhood First policy. India is Nepal's top trading partner, accounting for over two-thirds of Nepal's total trade. Nepal receives remittances from a large diaspora working in India, and the Indian Army recruits Gurkha soldiers from Nepal under a 1947 Tripartite Agreement (India, Nepal, Britain), which Nepal has sought to renegotiate.

An incoming ambassador's stated priorities — high-level visits and faster dispute resolution — signal the diplomatic temperature. UPSC has tested this relationship through statement-based questions covering treaty provisions, boundary disputes, and multilateral groupings like SAARC and BIMSTEC in which both nations participate.