Location: Suite 413, Level 4, Choego Building,  Gelephu, Bhutan, 31101

 

Phone: +97577961648

 

Email: office@basnetgmc.com

 

Alt: basnet@basnetgmc.com

Location: Suite 413, Level 4, Choego Building,  Gelephu, Bhutan, 31101

 

Phone: +97577961648

 

Email: office@basnetgmc.com

 

Alt: basnet@basnetgmc.com

━ Invest in BHUTAN'S

GELEPHU MINDFULNESS CITY

━ What is Gelephu Mindfulness City?

The Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) is a Special Administrative Region of the Kingdom of Bhutan, established by Royal Charter No. 1 of 2024, granted on 10 February 2024, and conceived by His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck as a new model of development. It spans about one million acres, or roughly 4,000 square kilometres, some ten percent of Bhutan, on the southern plains bordering the Indian state of Assam. The Charter gives GMC full executive and legislative powers and an independent judiciary. It has its own Acts, its own company registry, its own financial regulator and its own tax regime, all enacted in English and in force. Its location at the meeting point of South Asia, ASEAN and China, and Bhutan's record of stability, sustainable development and good governance, make GMC a jurisdiction built to be entered now, not later.

A Special Administrative Region Focused on Mindfulness

Gelephu Mindfulness City is not just another urban development or investment opportunity. It is built around a different premise: that economic growth, human well-being, and environmental health can be pursued together rather than traded off against one another. That premise shapes the kind of opportunities GMC offers. Under the "One Country, Two Systems" approach, the SAR holds its own executive and legislative powers and an independent judiciary, operating separately from the Royal Government while remaining under His Majesty's direct guidance.

Founders, investors, professionals, and visitors can all take part in what GMC is trying to do. The project is large and moving fast, with companies already being formed. It has a defined vision, the backing of the Crown and the whole country, and a growing set of international partnerships.


As His Majesty the King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck said, "It is an inflection point, a mandate and opportunity for us all, the King, the government, and the people, to join hands and work tirelessly to pave the road to the future. Gelephu will become a gateway connecting Bhutan to the world and the future."


For anyone interested in more than financial returns, GMC is an opportunity to help build a development model that treats prosperity, cultural identity, and environmental health as compatible goals rather than competing ones.

8 Investment Clusters of Gelephu Mindfulness City

Gelephu Mindfulness City is anchored in eight visionary investment clusters: Spiritual spaces that foster inner awakening and mindful living; Health and Wellness centers offering holistic healing, traditional medicine, and preventive care; Education and Knowledge institutions focused on values-based learning, innovation, and global research; Agri-Tech and Forestry promoting sustainable farming, food security, and ecological stewardship; Green Energy and Tech Industries leading the way in renewable power and ethical innovation; Finance and Digital Assets creating a regulated ecosystem for inclusive, impact-driven finance; Aviation and Logistics enhancing global connectivity through a new international airport and smart infrastructure; and Eco-Tourism, inviting conscious travelers to explore Bhutan’s natural beauty and spiritual heritage through low-impact, immersive experiences.

Spiritual spaces
Foster inner awakening and mindful living
Health and Wellness
Holistic healing, traditional medicine, and preventive care
Green Energy and Tech INDUSTRIES
Leading the way in renewable power and ethical innovation


Finance and Digital Assets
Ecosystem for inclusive, impact-driven finance
GMC Bhutan
Education and Knowledge
Values-based learning, innovation, and global research
Agri-Tech and Forestry
Sustainable farming, food security, and ecological stewardship
Aviation and Logistics
Global connectivity through a new international airport and smart infrastructure

Eco-Tourism
Bhutan’s natural beauty and spiritual heritage through low-impact, immersive experiences.
F.A.Q

Frequently Asked Questions

I want to set up a business in Gelephu Mindfulness City. Where do I start?

The first step is a conversation with us. Basnet Law Pte. Ltd. is the first law firm incorporated in the Gelephu Mindfulness City, with its office in the ChoeGo building in Gelephu. We advise you from the expression of interest and the choice of entity through incorporation with the Gelephu Corporate Registration Office (filed by a GMCA-empanelled CSP), any GFSO licence, the DK Bank account, work passes and the tax approvals, as one coordinated process with scope and dates fixed at the start. The fastest way to begin is the investment enquiry form: four short steps covering you, your investment, licensing and people, and we reply within one to two business days with the route and the timing.

What legal services do you provide for GMC investments?

Basnet Law Pte. Ltd. advises international investors on every step of a GMC entry:

  • Company, LLP, partnership and trust formation advice, with GCRO filing through a GMCA-empanelled CSP
  • GFSO licensing for financial services and digital asset businesses
  • Tax structuring, founders company and strategic and development company approvals, advance rulings
  • Funds, family offices and variable capital companies
  • Commercial contracts, land leases through the Economic Development Group and project documentation
  • Work passes, residency and employment under the GMC Acts
  • Anti-money laundering compliance, regulatory investigations and disputes


Can you help me liaise with the GMC administration?

Yes. We are on the ground in Gelephu and deal with the Gelephu Mindfulness City Authority, the Gelephu Corporate Registration Office, the Gelephu Financial Services Office and the Economic Development Group daily. We attend meetings, prepare filings and applications (GCRO incorporation filings go through your GMCA-empanelled CSP), and correspond with the regulator in your name, so you have one point of accountability and a timeline you can see.

Are your legal consultation services free?

We offer an initial 30-minute consultation at no cost to understand your plans and set out the route. Beyond that, every engagement carries a written fee agreement before work starts: a fixed fee for a defined scope such as an incorporation, a licence application or an opinion, or an hourly basis with an estimate for advisory work. Registry and regulator fees are passed through at cost.

What makes Gelephu Mindfulness City attractive for international investors?

GMC is a Special Administrative Region with its own Acts, its own regulator and its own tax regime:

  • A 15% company rate, with approval-based reliefs to nil for founders companies and strategic and development companies, and a 0% rate for non-citizen individuals to 31 December 2030
  • No capital gains tax, no withholding tax on dividends and no foreign exchange controls outside the Ngultrum
  • One financial regulator, GFSO, licensing banking, capital markets, payments, insurance and digital assets under one Act
  • A one-stop shop for land, leases, incorporation and clearances through the Economic Development Group
  • Eight priority industries with a clear entry route, and a jurisdiction at the point where early entrants set the standards

How long does the business registration process typically take in GMC?

Registration runs through the Gelephu Corporate Registration Office in two stages: an expression of interest assessed against the priority industries, then incorporation once the business case is accepted. Where a business needs a GFSO licence, in-principle approval takes two to three months on average and a fund or foreign-manager no-objection is targeted within four weeks. We prepare the file so that the registry and the regulator have nothing to come back on.

What industries are being prioritized for development in GMC?

The Gelephu Mindfulness City Authority lists eight priority industries: Spiritual, Health and Wellness, Education and Knowledge, Agri-Tech and Forestry, Green Energy and Technologies, Finance and Digital Assets, Aviation and Logistics, and Tourism. Alignment with one of them is assessed at the first stage of registration, and it is where the founders company relief is available.


How can I schedule a consultation with your firm?

Call +975 77 96 16 48, email basnet@basnetgmc.com or office@basnetgmc.com, use the enquiry form on any page of this site, or visit us at Suite 413, Level 4, ChoeGo Building, Phendey Street, Gelephu Mindfulness City. We reply within one to two business days.

━ GMC BHUTAN

Building a city that has never been seen by the world before

Disclaimer: Basnet Law Pte. Ltd. does not represent, act for, or have any official affiliation with Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC), its governing bodies, agencies, subsidiaries, or associated entities. Any references to Gelephu Mindfulness City on this website are made solely for informational purposes. Basnet Law Pte. Ltd. is an independent law firm and provides legal services to private clients in accordance with applicable laws and professional standards.

Pictures and Video Courtesy: The Gelephu Mindfulness City Authority