November 7: Khalti Digital Wallet and Lord Buddha Education Foundation (LBEF) have signed a strategic partnership agreement to provide internship and job placement opportunities to E-Business and IT students. Manish Modi, managing director of Khalti, and Pankaj Jalan, chairman of LBEF, signed the agreement amid a function in Kathmandu on Wednesday, November 6.

As per the agreement, the final year students and fresh graduates of LBEF can apply for an internship at Khalti. After a brief internship period, they will be recruited to work full-time at the company.

Furthermore, Khalti said it will provide a flexible work schedule so that the students do not have to miss their classes and also will provide leaves during exams or any other important projects, in consultation with the college.

Likewise, LBEF will provide special scholarships to the employees of Khalti who wish to join Master’s degree programme at the college. This collaboration between Khalti and LBEF is expected to set an example of industry-academia partnership in Nepal, reads the statement.

Speaking about the agreement, Khalti’s MD Modi, shared, “We consider this collaboration as a win-win situation for both Khalti and LBEF students. One of the main agendas of both institutions is to develop the IT industry of Nepal. This collaboration will bring synergy to both institutions. We are hopeful that we will be enriching the student experience effectively and appropriately and at the same time, increasing the quality of workforce in the company.”

Likewise, Pankaj Jalan of LBEF said, “We are excited to sign this strategic partnership with Khalti. Khalti as a brand is aligned with our mission, culture and values of promoting the IT industry of Nepal.”

Started in January 2017, Khalti is an emerging mobile payment solution in Nepal. So far, Khalti’s service has reached 70 districts of Nepal and it is working to enable people in the remotest corners of the nation to use digital payment service, the statement added.

Lord Buddha Education Foundation (LBEF) claimed itself to be the first college in Nepal to launch IT courses.