India, Nov. 19 -- Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi's visit to Bhutan - his fourth in 11 years - unfolded against the backdrop of the extraordinary Global Peace Prayer Festival, the largest gathering of its kind in the kingdom. The presence of the sacred Piprahwa relics from India lent the occasion a deep spiritual resonance. The visit was equally substantive: Three new memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were concluded, a fifth hydropower project inaugurated, and a Rs.40-billion line of credit announced to advance Bhutan's energy ambitions. The proposed rail links between the two countries signal an integration that aims to carry the partnership confidently into the future. But beneath, lies another unfolding story - a new, aspirational Bhutan led by a dynamic, tech-savvy king, quietly but steadily transforming the nation while keeping its traditional core intact. At the heart of this transformation are Bhutan's youth. A World Bank report notes a sharp increase in emigration after borders reopened in 2022, with departures via Paro airport rising from less than 500 per month pre-Covid to more than 5,000 per month in early 2023, heavily skewed towards young, educated Bhutanese headed mainly to Australia. This is a staggering figure for a nation of just around 700,000 people. This has turned youth emigration into an existential challenge that affects not only the country's economy, but also its cultural continuity, social fabric, and future leadership pipeline. Much of the ongoing transformation is being driven as a foil to this demographic drift. Initiatives such as the Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC), education reform, and entrepreneurial upskilling are also national acts of hope and confidence in the youth. So what are the various initiatives shaping the Bhutan of today? The GMC project is remarkable both in its promise and its scale. It is envisioned as a city that aims to reverse Bhutan's brain drain by building future-oriented industries - wellness, education, technology, green energy, and culture - that create meaningful livelihoods at home. It will be spread across one million acres spanning 11 village blocks and three districts. A multi-decade project with early stages focused on core infrastructure and the legal framework for its Special Administrative Region status, it is already seeing progress with the construction of Gelephu International Airport. The announcement of rail links during PM Modi's visit connecting Gelephu and Samtse with India's larger rail network will speed up trade and tourism. Gyalsung, Bhutan's mandatory national service, and Desuung, its voluntary counterpart, are two key youth-focused initiatives that reflect the country's deeper commitment to nation-building. Announced in 2019, Gyalsung is a one-year compulsory national service for all Bhutanese youth to enable them to "actualise their innate potential" and become productive, patriotic citizens. It stands on four pillars - military training, nation building skills, academic and technical training and physical fitness, and civic values and national identity. The first batch of Gyalsung trainees began training in 2024 and is expected to graduate later this year. A second cohort is now preparing to begin its training. Desuung, initiated in 2011, received a new lease of life during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. It is voluntary - multi-age eligibility and service-oriented - and aims to instill a sense of duty, discipline, and volunteerism, to support the nation in times of need. Over 45,000 Desuups have been trained since 2011, including in specialised programmes in IT and coding, electricity work, plumbing, drone operation, and renewable energy entrepreneurship. Many Bhutanese take pride in serving as Desuups from time to time - including the nation's former PM Dasho Lotay Tshering, who famously volunteered during the Covid-19 pandemic. Taken together, these two initiatives help knit the nation into a coherent and unified whole. No less impressive is the value-add to Bhutan's hydropower story. Bhutan, in close collaboration with India, generates clean energy through hydropower and earns a steady stream of revenue from its exports. Nearly 40% of its national revenue is derived from hydropower sales to India, making it a cornerstone of its economy. Five successful hydroelectric power projects define India-Bhutan collaboration in this key sector. But, since 2019, Bhutan has gone beyond, using the surplus hydropower to mine cryptocurrencies. With five centres established across the country and an estimated mined value exceeding a billion dollars, this initiative represents a strategic move to diversify and strengthen Bhutan's revenue base while aligning with broader goals of self-reliance and sustainable growth. The country is also pushing solar power at scale. A MoU was signed with India on November 11. Last year, an agreement between Reliance Power and a Bhutanese State-owned enterprise to build a 500 MW solar project at an estimated cost of Rs.2,000 crore had been announced. Bhutan has also launched a National Solar Energy Roadmap, with the International Solar Alliance providing technical and financial support to accelerate deployment. The progress in education is also significant. The Bhutan Baccalaureate (BB) has been rolled out in 23 select pilot schools across the country, emphasising a competency- and values-based framework to produce "persons of substance", not just exam-toppers. It replaces the earlier system which was modeled on India's CBSE. The World Bank is believed to be viewing the BB as an exportable idea, helping market it through South-South learning. The short point: Bhutan now defines its own learning goals based on Gross National Happiness and national needs. Added to this is the deep-rooted Buddhist culture of Bhutan which shapes the people's natural disposition toward peace, compassion, and contentment. These values are lived daily, forming the social fabric of Bhutan's society. Crucially, religion in Bhutan is a pillar of national identity, a guide for ethical living, and a quiet force behind policies that prioritise well-being over economic gain. In all these aspects and more, in the Bhutan we see today, India's imprint is unmistakable. The recent high profile visit of the Prime Minister underscored a simple truth: India stands by Bhutan - in trust, in friendship, and in a shared vision of the future....