While many Nepali business people continue to express concerns about the country’s business and investment climate, Min Bahadur Gurung, Managing Director of the Bhat-Bhateni Supermarket Group, is increasing his investments in diverse sectors.
Known for building Nepal’s largest retail empire, Bhat-Bhateni, Gurung is now transforming the group into a multi-sector conglomerate with an ambitious and diversified investment portfolio that reaches far beyond grocery shelves.
Read: Bhatbhateni Group Expands into Garment Industry
Healthcare: A Strategic Entry
bold entry into Nepal’s healthcare sector by acquiring a 45.6% stake in the under-construction Kathmandu International Hospital in Tinkune, Kathmandu. Valued at Rs 715 million, the deal gives Gurung a controlling interest in a project that had stalled under its original promoters, led by Prof Dr Harish Chandra Neupane—the founder of Chitwan Medical College.
The hospital, envisioned as a super-specialty facility with a rooftop helipad, began construction in mid-2021 but remains incomplete. Upon completion, it will initially feature 100 beds and will eventually expand to have 200 beds, offering services across cardiology, general surgery, oncology, gastroenterology, neurology, gynecology and emergency care.
Hospitality: From Groceries to FiveStar Dreams
In March, Min Bahadur Gurung acquired the long-stalled Centurion Hotel in Biratnagar from former state minister and industrialist Motilal Dugad for Rs 1.55 billion. The hotel, under construction for over a decade, is now being revived under the Bhat-Bhateni brand with ambitious plans to transform it into a five-star facility featuring a casino, shopping mall and entertainment park. Gurung has committed an additional Rs 1.2 billion to complete the project within 18 months. The project has the potential to create over 500 jobs.
The Centurion Hotel is Gurung’s second major hospitality project. His first, the Annapurna Square Hotel, is under construction in Kathmandu’s posh Durbar Marg street in partnership with Umesh Shrestha. In October 2024, Gurung, who also chairs the Annapurna Square Hotel, signed a management agreement with India’s luxury hotel chain ITC Hotels to redevelop and operate a new five-star property on the site of the iconic Hotel Annapurna.
The Rs 8 billion project is set to become Nepal’s largest hotel with 363 rooms, including 30 serviced apartments. It will have two towers—24 and 15 stories high—and include four conference halls, a shopping arcade and an entertainment zone.
Real Estate: Eye on Urban Living
Expanding into residential real estate, the Bhat-Bhateni Group has partnered with Roadshow Real Estate to develop a premium 64-unit apartment complex in Chuchchepati, near the Hyatt Regency Kathmandu. Spread over nearly four ropanis of land, the project will feature eight above ground floors and a basement, offering full-furnished one-, two-, and three-bedroom units. Apartments are priced at Rs 30,000 per square foot, with completion targeted within 18 months.
This marks Gurung’s first foray into dedicated residential development, further broadening his real estate footprint. Roadshow, an experienced player in land pooling and housing projects across the country, is the construction partner.
Cold Storage and Industrial Ventures
Bhat-Bhateni is also investing in logistics and manufacturing. In Tandi of Chitwan, a 72,000 square-foot cold storage facility is under construction to improve agricultural supply chains. The project, which is being developed in partnership with Umesh Shrestha, is expected to begin operations later this year.
Meanwhile, Gurung is upgrading his Kathmandu Steel plant in Bardaghat with a Rs 1.5 billion investment to add a melting unit capable of producing billets. The new unit is scheduled to start operations by October 2025.
Retail Empire Still Expanding
With 27 stores already operating from Birtamod in the east to Nepalgunj in the west, Bhat-Bhateni is preparing to open a new flagship outlet in Tandi of Chitwan by September. The store will be the largest in the chain so far. At the recent Koshi Investment Summit in Biratnagar, Gurung announced that Bhat-Bhateni aims to scale total investments to Rs 60 billion, provided that the government ensures a favorable business climate.
(This article was originally published in June 2025 issue of New Business Age Magazine.)
