Visitors to Mount Everest and other sites around Nepal—which is home to some of the richest biodiversity in the world—contribute significantly to the country’s economy. Tourism makes up around 20 percent of foreign exchange earnings. The sector employs about 425,000 people directly and provides employment to approximately 1 million people indirectly. So when an avalanche and an earthquake struck the country in 2014 and 2015, the consequences were felt widely. Visitor numbers dropped, slashing tourism earnings and wiping out jobs for local people. As the industry recovers, one family of business owners is strategizing to woo tourists back to Nepal’s […]

Globally, budding companies that have failed to secure much-needed growth capital from sources like banks have turned to private equity funds. This trend has also made inroads into Nepal but at a much smaller scale. Private equity funds generally invest in firms that are looking for capital to grow. The investment is made in the form of equity, meaning the fund acquires shares in companies, which are offloaded after certain years. Private equity funds here have relieved companies, relying on bank credit to expand their business, from the burden of cobbling assets that need to be pledged as collateral and […]

Nepal’s first private equity impact fund helps uplift Makwanpur and Tanahu villages – SIDDHANT RAJ PANDEY Jun 29, 2018-Up the hills of Makwanpur,113 km south west of Kathmandu,a small village development community named Raksirang is located; its inhabitants are from the Dalit, Chepang and Tamang communities. The electricity supply to Raksirang is via grid connectivity through a single-phase line that barely services the villagers. Agriculture is the main source of income, but with poor water supply and access to markets it barely makes the end meet for the farming community. Recently, an innovative private company involved with renewal energy technology […]

Source: Karobar Daily सिद्धान्तराज पाण्डे अध्यक्ष-प्रबन्ध निर्देशक, बिजनेस अक्सिजन प्रा.लि. २५ वर्ष बैंकिङ क्षेत्रमा बिताएका सिद्धान्तराज पाण्डे अहिले सेयर स्वामित्वसहित लगानीको मोडल ‘प्राइभेट इक्युटी फन्ड’ सञ्चालन गरिरहेका छन् । आईएफसी, स्पेसल क्लाइमेट चेन्ज फन्ड र डीएफआईडीको प्रत्यक्ष वैदेशिक लगानीसहित नेपाली लगानीकर्ताको कम्पनी डब्लूएलसीमार्फत बिजनेश अक्सिजन सञ्चालनमा छ । १४.३ मिलियन डलर फन्डमार्फत नेपालको साना तथा मझौला व्यवसायमा लगानी भइरहेको छ । नेपालमा अधिकांश साना तथा मझौला व्यवसाय पारिवारिक तथा अनौपचारिक रूपमा चलेको र यसलाई विकास र विस्तार गर्न इक्युटी फन्ड प्रभावकारी हुने उनको भनाइ छ । कम्पनीको अध्यक्ष तथा प्रबन्ध निर्देशक रहेका उनले प्रत्यक्ष विदेशी लगानीसहितको इक्युटी फन्डमार्फत पुँजीसँगै सीप […]

-BY NIKEETA GAUTAM AND ASHIM NEUPANE At a time when Nepali startups are trying to make footprints in various business sectors, it has become important to connect them with budding entrepreneurs from other countries and various players of the startup ecosystem. Such links can be important enabling platforms for aspiring youths where they can learn from veterans and experts, share ideas and experiences that can help them to solve problems and come up with something new to realise their entrepreneurial ambitions. Besides, the government can also identify problems and provide policy level support. One such endeavour, The International Entrepreneurship Conclave […]

– Siddhant Raj Pandey With the advent of the Left coalition that has come with a clear majority, the general feeling is that there will be stability in government for the next few years paving way for consistency in policy. With monetary policy in havoc and in the fiscal space with the macro-economy showing strains, the task of the new government in general and the finance minister in particular is daunting. The step of the Oli government in choosing a technocrat like Yuba Raj Khatiwada as finance minister has been the first smart move of the government, and shows the […]

कान्तिपुर संवाददाता काठमाडौ ‘ स्टार्टअप’ मा आबद्ध उद्यमी, व्यवसायी, लगानीकर्ताको विकासमा काम गर्दै आएको ‘नेक्स्ट भेन्चर कर्प’ ले शुक्रबार राजधानीमा आयोजना गरेको दोस्रो ‘ नेक्स्ट ग्रोथ कनक्लेभ’ सम्मेलन सकिएको छ । ‘ ग्रो फास्टर थिम’ मा आधारित सम्मेलनमा एक हजार हाराहारी उद्यमी, व्यवसायी, लगानीकर्ता र सरोकारवाला सहभागी थिए । कर्पका प्रोग्राम डेभलपमेन्ट अफिसर आयुष मानन्धरका अनुसार सम्मेलनमा नेपालसहित पाँच मुलुकका विज्ञहरूले ‘व्यवसायलाई अर्को चरणको उचाइमा कसरी लैजान सकिन्छ ?’ भन्ने सवालमा केन्द्रित सफलताका कथा र सूत्रहरू सुनाएका थिए । ‘ स्टार्टअप’ समुदायबाटै उदाएका मलेसियाबाट वारेन ल्यावोले ‘ सानो अर्थतन्त्र भएको मुलुकका उद्यमीहरूले विश्व बजारमा पहुँच कसरी पुर्याउने ?’ भन्ने विषयमा […]

Working in tandem is key to an inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem Niladri Parial Kathmandu A multitude of platforms that have sprung up to aid ideation, prototype development, and launch of a business in recent years have fuelled the desire among many to hop onto the rapidly-running bandwagon of entrepreneurship. It can, however be, be very confusing to a newcomer — with boot  camps, start-up platforms, incubators and accelerators vying for attention. The time was ripe for a key actor to play aggregator. That is what Nepal  Entrepreneurs Hub (NEHUB) did with a 5-day Spark Week from November 22-26. The idea was […]

The second iteration of MNS VMAG Weekends’ Sky Education Agenda Sessions was held at the Summit Hotel in the Capital on Saturday. The event saw a discussion on the early stage investment in entrepreneurship that featured some of the key investors and entrepreneurs from Nepali business scape–Saurav Jyoti, Arun K Chaudary, Siddhanta Pandey, Vidhan Rana, Amun Thapa, Puja Tandon, Abhay Poudel, and Niraj Khanal–who talked about issues ranging from the current trends in investment in Nepal, the challenges of utilising funding and the history of investment in Nepal, among others. The session was moderated by Kavi Raj Joshi, founder and […]

A different approach to financing business The Himalayan Times, 07.08.2016 Alternative finance has become the new buzzword for entrepreneurs worldwide who are seeking for a fund to either start a business or to grow their existing ones. In the past 5 years Kathmandu has witnessed a big change in the way the entrepreneurs are financed. With several new funds coming up in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, the investors are not only injecting cash flow to the businesses but also helping to build a sustainable and financially sound ecosystem. I met Siddhant Pandey, CEO of Business Oxygen, one of the alternative finance […]