India-Nepal Startup Boom: Why Entrepreneurs Must Join SMK 2025!
The Embassy of India in Kathmandu hosted the second India-Nepal Startup Connect: Curtain Raiser for Startup Mahakumbh (SMK) 2025 on 7 February 2025. Prithvi Subba Gurung, Nepal’s Minister for Communication and Information Technology, was the chief guest at the event.
The programme began with a roundtable discussion featuring representatives from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Government of India; Startup India; the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI); the Confederation of Nepalese Industries Young Entrepreneurs Forum (CNIYEF); the Nepal Association for Software and IT Services Companies (NAS-IT); the Fintech Alliance of Nepal (FAN); the Robotics Association of Nepal (RAN); Nepal Hub (NHub); the Asian Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs; Tribhuvan University; the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST); Kathmandu University; and several Nepali startups.
Nepal’s Digital Advancements and Bilateral Opportunities
In his address, Minister Gurung highlighted Nepal’s progress in embracing the latest IT technologies, creating significant opportunities for startups. He spoke of the long-standing ties between India and Nepal, as well as the ease with which citizens of both nations can collaborate professionally. Encouraging Nepali businesses to participate in SMK 2025, he underscored the event’s potential to drive innovation and growth.
India’s Digital Rise and Cross-Border Collaboration
Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava spoke at the inaugural session, emphasising how India’s startup culture has become mainstream among the youth. He credited India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for catalysing this transformation, presenting new opportunities for cross-border startup collaboration. A key example was the interoperability between Nepal’s FonePay and India’s UPI, which facilitated over 400,000 merchant transactions since its launch in March 2024.
Startup Mahakumbh 2025: A Global Platform
Sanjiv, Joint Secretary at DPIIT, presented an overview of SMK 2025, describing it as a premier event for startups. He invited Nepali startups to participate in a gathering that will feature over 3,000 exhibitors, 10,000 startups, and 1,000 investors, incubators, and accelerators, with an expected attendance of 50,000+ business visitors. The event will showcase cutting-edge innovations in Fintech, AI, Deeptech, Cybersecurity, Defence & Space Tech, Agritech, Climate Tech, B2B Manufacturing, Gaming, Sports Tech, Biotech & Healthcare, and more.
Key Policy and Industry Insights
Umesh Kumar Gupta, Executive Director of the Industrial Enterprise Development Institute (IEDI), presented Nepal’s Startup Policy, while Rajendra Mootha, Head of New Initiatives at IIT Madras Pravartak, outlined how IIT Madras is fostering incubation, technology development, and industry partnerships.
Panel Discussions: Exploring Startup Potential
The first panel discussion focused on opportunities in emerging technology startups in India and Nepal:
- Prashant Mishra, CEO of TechXR, demonstrated how virtual reality is enhancing tourism experiences.
- Asgar Ali, Co-founder of F1Soft, shared insights on the Nagarik app for delivering citizen services in Nepal.
- Amit Agrawal, Founder of Khalti Wallet, showcased the rapid expansion of digital payments in Nepal.
- Rajendra Mootha, IIT Madras Pravartak, presented success stories of incubated tech startups.
The second panel discussion examined Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for Social Impact:
- Sixit Bhatta, CEO of Vriddhi Sanjal Pvt Ltd, shared efforts to build DPI solutions for Nepal.
- Neelesh Man Pradhan, CEO of Nepal Clearing House Limited, highlighted products like Nepal Pay, which provide a foundation for fintech innovation.
- Dr Bal Krishna Bal, Associate Dean of Kathmandu University, explained how the university encourages students to develop digital public goods.
- Himanshu Tiwari, AVP of SchoolNet, shared insights from India’s education DPI, such as Diksha.
Key Takeaways and Future Steps
The event concluded with a special address by Gobinda Bahadur Karkee, Secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Supplies.
Key takeaways from the discussions included:
- India and Nepal are prime markets for startups looking for international expansion.
- Both countries are leveraging emerging technologies to address large-scale societal challenges.
- DPI development is an ideal opportunity for startups, with Nepal’s DPI ecosystem providing a launchpad for next-gen innovations.
- Cross-border DPI integration could amplify benefits for both nations.
- Nepali startups could tap into India’s funding and mentorship networks, particularly through incubators like IIT Madras Pravartak.
- MoUs between IIT Madras Pravartak and Tribhuvan University/Kathmandu University were highlighted as key steps toward setting up incubation centres.
- Participants called for stronger Indo-Nepal collaboration in the startup ecosystem.
- Nepali startups welcomed the opportunity to be part of SMK 2025.
- The Embassy of India reaffirmed its commitment to fostering India-Nepal Startup Connect. Following the first India-Nepal Startup Connect event in January 2023, this initiative aims to strengthen ties between startups, academic institutions, and investors from both nations. Stakeholders interested in participating in Startup Mahakumbh 2025are encouraged to contact the Commerce Wing of the Embassy at [email protected].