Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj with Sartaz Aziz, Foreign policy adviser to Nawaz Sharif, in Kathmandu.
As a possible meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif appeared to overshadow the SAARC summit in Nepal, the two foreign ministers met briefly but gave no clear indication.
After a meeting of foreign ministers, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, questioned again on PM Modi meeting Mr Sharif, repeated, "Thoda intezaar kijiye (Please wait a bit)."
Ms Swaraj's brief chat with the Pakistani premier's foreign policy adviser intensified speculation, but she described the interaction as "minimum courtesy".
She said, "When you meet someone at an international forum, you greet someone."
In a statement hours before leaving for Kathmandu, PM Modi said, "Development of close relations with our neighbours is a key priority for my government."
This is Mr Modi's second visit to Nepal since he took charge in May and the first summit of SAARC or the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, a grouping that comprises Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
Sources say PM Modi and Mr Sharif will meet as part of the conference, the banquets and a retreat planned for leaders outside Kathmandu. The structure of talks, however, is not known.
India has been noncommittal and Pakistan has said there are "no plans yet" for a meeting but there could be if India requested.
"One or two meetings are fixed. The rest are not yet fixed," Mr Aziz was quoted as saying earlier.
The Pakistani media has reported that the two prime ministers may come face to face at the retreat where leaders interact.
In August, India called off talks with Pakistan over its envoy's meetings with Kashmiri separatists. The move marked a giant step back for diplomatic ties that soared after PM Modi, in a surprising move, invited Mr Sharif to his swearing-in ceremony in Delhi in May.