Nepal-India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NICCI) has proposed joint initiatives with the Investment Board of Nepal (IBN) to attract targeted investments from India in hydropower and renewable energy, manufacturing and industrial enterprises, information technology and digital services, tourism and hospitality, education and skill development, and healthcare and medical infrastructure.
Congratulating IBN Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sushil Gyewali for his appointment at his office in Kathmandu on May 21, NICCI President Sunil KC proposed Gyewali to join hands with NICCI to attract investment in Nepal. “Nepal needs to recreate the magic of late 1990s and attract more Indian investment to Nepal,” KC said, asking the IBN to organize joint investment promotion program in association with NICCI.
NICCI is planning to host jointly ‘Nepal–India Dialogue’ in Kathmandu, with Network18 Media and Investments Limited under Reliance Industries Limited in July 2025, he said, informing the IBN that it will be a right platform for Nepal to promote projects, and products. “Likewise, NICCI is hosting a “Nepal–India Partnership Summit” in New Delhi to promote bilateral investment and cooperation at a strategic level.”
NICCI is conducting sector-specific investment roundtables including hydropower in major commercial cities of India such as Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Gujrat, Punjab and Lucknow, focusing on high-potential sectors, and producing a short documentary on the success stories of Indian Joint Venture Companies in Nepal, to showcase the opportunities and advantages of investing in Nepal to the broader Indian business community, KC informed, seeking IBN’s collaboration in all such investment promotion endeavors.
Responding to NICCI’s suggestions and proposals, IBN CEO Gyewali said that Indian JVs in Nepal can help promote Nepal as investment destination. “IBN and the government are ready to solve the problems of Indian JVs currently operational in Nepal, but they are the ones to spread positive aspects of investing in Nepal,” he said.
“Thematic and issue-based investment promotion in Indian cities is crucial,” Gyewali said, promising to join hands with NICCI in such missions. “IBN will provide land for free to foreign companies establishing Special Economic Zones, while offering incentives comparable to those provided for hydropower projects."
Thanking IBN for their support, NICCI Vice President and Surya Nepal Managing Director (MD) Ravi Rayavaram highlighted few issues barring the foreign investment. “The land ceiling has become a major hindrance in expansion of present industries,” he said, adding that Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and policy inconsistency are other major roadblocks for the FDI. “The internationally reputed brands are registered in Nepal by locals, making it difficult for the Indian JVs to bring to Nepal. “Likewise, the Policy inconsistency and lack of inter departmental agencies have also inhibited the business scope in Nepal.”
The NICCI team included NICCI President KC, Vice President Rayavaram, General Secretary Rajan Sharma and Executive Member Kunal Keyal, whereas the IBN team included CEO Gyewali, Joint Secretaries Pradhyumna Prasad Upadhayay and Babu Raj Adhikari.
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