Bhutan’s government is pushing hard to open its doors for investors and new industries. It wants more than just its famous gross domestic happiness. It plans to use its pure energy and special economic zones to get jobs home. But many challenges lie forward.
Bhutan is facing brain drain
According to the latest figures, approximately 13,500 Bhutanese – 1.6% of the country’s less than 800,000 people – moved to Australia in 2023. That type of outflow shows that young talents chase larger markets. It leaves Bhutan Shortly on skilled workers at a time when it needs new ideas and starting energy. Geography does not help. Being a land bar between India and China means transporting goods and building infrastructure costs more and takes longer.
Hydropower drives new plans
Bhutan’s main export is electricity from rivers. It has 2.5 gigawatts of hydroelectric Now and another 3 GW under construction. Cheap and clean, this force can operate factories, server farm or green technical experiments. Based on reports from Druk Holdings and Investments (DHI), the country’s sovereign wealth fund, these places can let companies test pump storage systems or hydrogen production under real conditions. Fast pilots in Bhutan can then be rolled out regionally.
Bitcoin mining growth
Based on a report from FortuneBitcoin Mining is one of the more unusual bets. Bhutan started mine crypto 2019 when a bitcoin cost just under $ 10,000. From May 7, 2025, each coin is worth about $ 97,400. According to DHI, it makes it rely on hydropower this mining operation and the profit increases the fund’s portfolio of $ 3 billion. But crypto prices swing hard. A large drop could erase profits. Yet DHI calls Bitcoin “Digital gold” and says it’s part of a mixed strategy.
Image: Canva
Gelephu Mindfulness City
Based on planning documents, Gelephu Mindfulness City will cover approximately 2500 square kilometers near the Indian border. This special zone aims to connect Bhutan to South and Southeast Asia and offers space for health clinics, technical startups and green energy companies. It is billed as a place where work and well -being meet. Roads, digital lines and homes must all be built from the ground up. It will take cash and many years before hotels or offices are filled.
Bhutans GNH index rose from 0.743 2010 to 0.781 in 2022. During the same span, GDP per person grew from $ 2,435 to $ 3,711, although it dipped sharply in 2020 during the pandemic. Tourism is still recovering: 145,000 visitors came down last year, down from 315,599 in 2019 during the “high -value, low effect” model as caps arrivals to protect mountain roads and forests.
DHI looks to Singapore’s themasek as a board example. Temasek handles about $ 300 billion and owns shares in big names such as Singapore Airlines. However, DHI holds shares in 24 Bhutanese companies, including Bhutan Telecom and Bank of Bhutan. Managers say that size is not the key. What is important is to move quickly, staying lean and turning Green energy to growth.
Bhutan’s plan is bold. It mixes traditional values with a shot at technology and finance. If young people see real jobs at home, some can stay. If pilot projects succeed, small -scale can be large. But all mistakes in hydropower, crypto or urban building risks that extend Bhutan’s limited resources. At the moment, both investors and citizens will look carefully.
Image from Unsplash, charts from TradingView
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