Business in Bhutan

EENI- School of International Business

Subject (Course): International Trade and Doing Business in Bhutan - Thimphu. Syllabus:

  1. Introduction to the Kingdom of Bhutan
  2. Bhutanese economy
  3. Doing Business in Thimphu
  4. Bhutanese industry
  5. Case Study: Gross National Happiness Index
  6. Foreign Trade of Bhutan
  7. Case Study: Tashi Group
  8. Access to the Bhutanese market
  9. Business Plan for Bhutan

Purposes of the subject “Foreign Trade and Doing Business in Bhutan”:

  1. To analyse the Bhutanese economy and foreign trade
  2. To evaluate business opportunities in Bhutan
  3. To explore Bhutan's trade relations with the student's country
  4. To know Bhutan's Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)
  5. To examine the profile of Bhutanese companies
  6. To develop a business plan for the Bhutanese market
Subject “Doing Business in Bhutan” is studied...
  1. Masters (Online): Asia, BRICS Countries (India), International Business
  2. Doctorate in Business in Asia

Languages of study: English (French Bhutan Spanish Bhutan).

  1. Credits of the subject “Foreign Trade and Doing Business in Bhutan”: 1 ECTS Credits
  2. Duration: one week

Recommendations for Bhutanese students

Sample of the subject
Doing Business in Bhutan

Gross National Happiness (Bhutan)

Subject Description: Business in Bhutan:

Bhutan has one of the highest per capita incomes in South Asia (1,321 dollars).

The Kingdom of Bhutan.

  1. The population of Bhutan: 768,198 people
  2. Bhutan is one of the smallest countries (38,394 square kilometres)
  3. Landlocked country
  4. Frontiers: China (Tibet) and India (Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh)
  5. The official language of Bhutan: Dzongkha
  6. The main Bhutanese ethnic group: Dzongs
  7. Buddhism (Vajrayana) is the main religion of Bhutan
  8. Hinduism is the second religion (30% of the population)
  9. Type of Government: Unitary Parliamentary constitutional monarchy
  10. King: Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck
  11. The capital of Bhutan: Thimphu (45% of the country's GNP)
  12. Internet TLD: bt

Bhutan belongs to the Buddhist Civilisation and the Economic area of the Hindu Civilisation

Bhutan Tashi Group

Bhutanese Economy.

  1. The main sectors of the economy of Bhutan are agriculture, cottage industries, and tourism
  2. The main crops are rice, wheat, maize, apples, and oranges
  3. The industrial sector of Bhutan (mainly located in Pasakha): cement, steel, breweries (Coca-Cola), and wood based industries
  4. Mineral resources: coal, slate, dolomite, gypsum, and graphite
  5. Huge potential of hydroelectricity
  6. GDP per capita: 2,611 USD
  7. Bhutanese GDP growth: 5,4%
  8. The Gross National Happiness was created by His Majesty the third Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuck
  9. Currency: the Bhutanese ngultrum (BTN) and the Indian Rupee (INR)

Foreign Trade of Bhutan.

  1. The largest Bhutanese export markets: India, Bangladesh, the United States, the Netherlands, Germany, Singapore, and Nepal
  2. The main imports: oils, parts, motors, wood charcoal, rice, and coke
  3. The main providers of Bhutan: India, China, Thailand, Singapore, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia

Asian Clearing Union (ACU)

Bhutan's Free Trade Agreements (FTA).

  1. Agreement on Trade, Commerce and Transit with India
  2. FTA with Bangladesh
  3. Asian Clearing Union (ACU)
  4. South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
  5. South Asian Free-Trade Area (SAFTA)
  6. Bay Bengal Initiative (BIMSTEC)
  7. Generalised System of Preferences (European Union)

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)

Bhutan is a member of...

  1. South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC)
  2. Bhutan is eligible for the European Investment Bank
  3. Asia-Middle East Dialogue (AMED)
  4. Asian Development Bank
  5. Boao Forum for Asia
  6. World Customs Organisation (WCO)
  7. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
  8. Colombo Plan
  9. International Monetary Fund (IMF)
  10. United Nations (UN)
  11. World Trade Organisation (WTO)
  12. World Bank (WB)

Generalised System of Preferences (GSP)

South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC)

Bhutan-Bangladesh Free Trade Agreement



U-EENI University