India, Feb. 1 -- India's close partner Bhutan again garnered the largest share of the government's external aid portfolio, with an outlay of Rs.2,150 crore in the budget for 2025-26, which retained an allocation of Rs.100 crore for developing Iran's Chabahar port.

The external affairs ministry was allocated Rs.20,516.61 crore, lower than its revised budget of Rs.25,277 crore and its allocation of Rs.22,154 crore in 2024-25, according to the budget documents.

In keeping with the government's "Neighborhood First" policy, Bhutan was allocated Rs.2,150 crore from the total external aid outlay of Rs.6,750 crore, including soft loans and grants, for foreign countries, cultural and heritage projects and support for international training progr...