India on Monday handed over the first tranche of election-related assistance to Nepal, delivering more than 60 double-cab pickup vehicles and other supplies to support preparations for the upcoming elections.

The handover took place at a ceremony organised at the Ministry of Home Affairs in Kathmandu. The vehicles and materials were formally received by Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal and handed over on behalf of the Indian government by Rakesh Pandey, chargé d’affaires at the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.

Thanking India for the support, Aryal said the assistance reflected the close ties between the two neighbours. “The cooperation extended by India demonstrates the depth of trust and friendship between our two countries,” he said, expressing appreciation for India’s continued support to Nepal’s electoral process.

In a press release issued on Tuesday, the Embassy of India in Kathmandu said that the assistance forms part of a larger package requested by the government of Nepal for election preparations.

India has been providing election-related support to Nepal since 2008, during which it has gifted around 2,400 vehicles to various Nepali ministries, departments and the Election Commission.

For the forthcoming elections, India has committed to providing around 650 vehicles, which will be delivered in batches over the coming weeks.

The embassy said the ongoing cooperation reflects the broader development partnership between India and Nepal and underscores long-standing people-to-people ties between the two countries.