Sunday Nov 16, 2025
Sunday Nov 16, 2025
Friday, 19 September 2025 00:20 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Bhutan King’s Special Envoy and International Affairs Chief Ambassador Jonathan Tow
– Pic by Upul Abayasekara
By Divya Thotawatte
Bhutan, known for prioritising Gross National Happiness over GDP, has begun its journey building the Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC), envisioned as a Special Administrative Region (SAR), an ambitious project blending spirituality, sustainability, and economic innovation.
This first-ever ‘mindfulness city’ is the vision of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan, who describes GMC as a “big idea from a small nation.”
Speaking in Colombo recently, Bhutan King’s Special Envoy and International Affairs Chief Ambassador Jonathan Tow said: “His idea is not just to build another city, but to offer the world a different path. How can one bring together Bhutanese values of spirituality and harmony with nature, and blend it together with economic progress? How can we bring these elements together?”
He brings this vision to life with two approaches to the city: one global, and one domestic. Tow explained that globally, GMC is positioned as an “oasis of calm” in a turbulent region.
“We see what is happening in Nepal and elsewhere in the region. He has much foresight to try to carve out such an environment for businesses and for people who want to find an oasis,” said Tow at a forum organised by Honorary Consul-General for Bhutan in Sri Lanka Abbas Esufally.
Domestically, GMC is aimed at addressing brain drain and unemployment. With a population of 800,000, thousands of Bhutanese youths seek opportunities abroad. By creating a semi-autonomous entity, the King hopes to advance economic growth without disturbing Bhutan’s traditional governance, Tow said.
This approach is guided by a ‘diamond strategy.’ “During the first 20 years, it will take the shape of a diamond: a one country, two system format. Bhutan and GMC will take divergent paths. Bhutan will continue to develop at its own pace, whereas the SAR will be empowered to be a catalyst of change.”
Afterward, both systems are expected to merge into a stronger economic unit.
A semi-autonomous city
“GMC will be empowered to adopt its own rules and regulations to attract investments without affecting the rest of the country,” Tow said, highlighting that GMC would enjoy considerable autonomy under the Royal Charter, including its own judiciary, executive, and legislative powers.
In an effort to reassure investors, GMC has also borrowed legal systems from established financial hubs. Singapore Common Law will be used for corporate matters, while Abu Dhabi Global Market regulations will be used for finance. Singapore arbitration for commercial disputes and Singapore’s anti-corruption framework have also been adopted. “This makes it familiar to investors around the world,” Tow noted.
Building in harmony with nature
The city’s design reflects Bhutan’s ethos of harmony with nature, where the masterplan by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) focuses on terraces, flowing water, and wildlife corridors woven into the city’s structure.
“This is an area where there’s a lot of wildlife movement, especially the elephants—they don’t need a visa. They go up and down to India and back. So how can we build a city that accommodates nature moving through it?” According to the current vision, GMC could cover up to 1 million acres, which is around 5% of Bhutan’s land area.
Tow also outlined seven factors that made GMC distinct.
Bullets
1. Direct royal oversight, ensuring stability.
2. Mindful prosperity where growth is balanced with Bhutanese values.
3. Policy autonomy with international best practices.
4. Sustainability, from carbon negativity to new materials.
5. Greenfield freedom to design from scratch.
6. Close ties with India, which ensure favourable market ties.
7. A spiritual hub, aspiring to be a centre for Vajrayana Buddhism.
Industries of the future
According to Tow, GMC’s development strategy focuses on a few industries that align with Bhutan’s vision.
Spiritual tourism and Buddhism is one of the primary industries where “currently, we have eight major sites being developed; stupas and various religious institutions that are already underway in GMC.” As the historic entry point of Guru Rinpoche into Bhutan, the city seeks to link with sites in Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka.
Health and wellness is another focus industry where the city will leverage geothermal springs and Bhutan’s reputation for well-being, exploring the mindfulness concept with spas, retirement homes, and medical tourism.
Education and knowledge is an area that will also receive much support in GMC. Tow invited institutions worldwide to establish research and training hubs as part of GMC’s story towards mindfulness.
Agritech and forestry tech will also be a key focus. With its vast forest resources, Bhutan aims to pioneer sustainable building materials and services. “His Majesty is very interested to have GMC be an example for the world when it comes to using sustainable building materials. So, we are looking for investors that have access to forestry technology that can come and experiment with what we have to build.”
GMC will also focus on green energy, expanding beyond Bhutan’s hydropower into innovative renewables and sustainable infrastructure.
Financial and digital assets are also a key pillar of the SAR. Tow revealed that GMC was also in the process of creating a block chain-based currency called ‘TER.’ “It will be backed by physical gold, meaning that you give the gold to get the TER.”
Aviation is another industry that will receive much emphasis within GMC. Gelephu International Airport will become Bhutan’s most advanced aviation hub, capable of night operations and long-range flights.
“We also want to be able to serve the larger region. We want to be able to come up with very liberal aviation rights—more liberal than India. We want to be able to have the range to connect to different hubs. So, we are very open to airlines locating in Gelephu.”
While the scale is large, Tow emphasised that GMC was not intended for all types of business, but instead for those that fit into the idea of mindful prosperity.
“It is not intended to be a mega city. It is intended to be a place where you bring in believers, investors, companies aligned with this idea, and see how their businesses can grow in this environment,” he said.
