9NOVEMBER, 2025INDIA, NEPAL SIGN PACT TO DEVELOP CROSS-BORDER POWER LINESIndia and Nepal have recently enhanced their enduring energy partnership by signing significant agreements to construct new cross-border power transmission lines, which will improve electricity trade and support a stable regional grid.Both the nations have strengthened their energy cooperation through a new power transmission pact, enhancing India Nepal relations by promoting cross-border electricity trade and advancing joint hydropower projects under the India Nepal power agreement.Nepal's Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Kulman Ghising, visited India's Minister for Power, Manohar Lal, in New Delhi to assess the status of current hydropower projects and to discuss corrective measures to its grid connection for the purposes of cleaner and reliable energy trading.The newly proposed transmission line projects include the construction of two significant 400 Krore double circuit (quad moose) transmission lines, known as the Inaruwa (Nepal)­New Purnea (India) and Lamki(Dododhara) (Nepal)­Bareilly (India) transmission lines.These lines will be developed by India's POWERGRID Corporation working with the Nepal Electricity Authority under agreements between POWERGRID Corporation and the NEA.The ceremony for the signing was attended by both ministers, thus indicating the increasing collaboration of the two countries in the area of renewable energy infrastructure.According to the plan, two joint venture firms--one in India and the other in Nepal--will be set up to manage the designing, constructing, and running of these corridors with large capacity for electricity transmission.After the completion of the projects, it is anticipated that the electricity trade between the two countries will be India and Nepal, thus already making the geographical area more attractive electrically. This partnership has marked another step forward in the two countries' mutual dedication to the eco-friendly environment and the transition to clean energy in the region of South Asia. IMRTOP STORIESISRO LAUNCHES CMS-03, BOOSTING INDIA'S SPACE TECH INDUSTRYRecently, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) completed the successful launch of the Indian Navy's GSAT-7R (CMS-03) communication satellite, thus contributing to the growth of India's space and defence capabilities.The manufactured satellite, that weighs about 4,400 kg, is the heaviest communication satellite India has ever made. The launch was conducted at 5:26 pm from the second launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.The Indian Navy's GSAT-7R will have an enormous impact on the navy's communication network via satellite and the awareness of the maritime domain, thereby furthering the coordination of the navy's operations in the vast oceanic areas.The Indian Navy said, "This satellite is India's heaviest communication satellite to date, weighing approximately more than 4,400 kg, and includes many indigenous state-of-the-art components developed specifically to meet the Indian Navy's operational requirements".Besides, the satellite is manufactured with advanced, domestically produced components and is capable of serving the Navy's entire range of strategic and communication needs. It is a multi-band communication satellite that will provide dependable coverage over the Indian landmass and adjacent ocean areas.The satellite was launched using LVM3, a rocket known for launching the Chandrayaan-3 mission to the Moon's South Pole. This was the fifth operational flight of LVM3.In a statement, ISRO stated, "MS-03, weighing about 4400kg, will be the heaviest communication satellite to be launched to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) from Indian soil. The previous mission of LVM3 launched the Chandrayaan-3 mission, in which India became the first country to land successfully near the lunar south pole".This launch vehicle is a 43.5m tall rocket that weighs 642 tonnes at liftoff. The launch vehicle has three propellant stages to place payload into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).At this stage in the flight, ISRO CMS-03 separates from the launch vehicle at 179km in altitude with a speed of about 10 km per second, adding another accomplishment to ISRO's record of success.The ISRO CMS-03 marks a milestone in India satellite launch history, showcasing a powerful communication satellite that reflects the growth of the space industry, advancement in Indian space technology, and continued ISRO innovation. IMR
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