Indian Embassy Organises Curtain Raiser for Startup Mahakumbh 2025 in Nepal

The Indian embassy recently hosted the 2nd India-Nepal Startup Connect, a prelude to the Startup Mahakumbh (SMK) 2025. This three-day event is scheduled for April in New Delhi. Nepal’s Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung, attended as the chief guest.

The programme commenced with a round-table discussion. Participants included representatives from India's Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Startup India, and various Nepalese business organisations. Kathmandu University was also represented at the event.

Startup Opportunities and Bilateral Ties

Minister Gurung discussed Nepal's progress in adopting modern IT technologies, which opens doors for startups. He emphasised the strong connections between Nepalese and Indian citizens living in each other's countries. Gurung also urged Nepalese businesses to join SMK 2025.

India's ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, spoke about the growing startup culture among Indian youth. "The growth of digital public infrastructure had catalysed this digital shift," he said. He cited the interoperability between Nepal's FonePay and India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) as a recent example.

Event Highlights and Expectations

Since its launch in March 2024, FonePay and UPI have facilitated over four lakh merchant transactions last year. This collaboration highlights the increasing digital integration between the two nations. The upcoming SMK event will showcase more than 3,000 exhibitors and 10,000 startups.

Additionally, SMK 2025 is expected to attract 1,000 investors and over 50,000 visitors from India and beyond. This large-scale participation underscores the growing interest in startup ecosystems in both countries.

The event aims to strengthen ties between India and Nepal by fostering collaboration in the startup sector. It provides a platform for entrepreneurs from both nations to explore new opportunities and partnerships.