Top businesses and leading entrepreneurs from across Nepal’s banking, insurance, IT, and other sectors were recognised at the 9th NewBiz Conclave & Business Excellence Awards, held in Kathmandu on Thursday, June 26.

Organised by New Business Age with Asian Paints as the title sponsor, the annual event celebrated leadership, innovation, and excellence in Nepal’s business landscape. Awards were presented across nine competitive categories, culminating in the Lifetime Achievement Award in Business Excellence, which was conferred on Babulal Chachan for his outstanding contribution to the growth of trade and commerce in the country.
 

From dreaming of engineering to engineering an economic legacy—Babulal Chachan's journey is one of resilience, foresight, and business leadership across generations.

Read: Nepal’s Business Landscape Shines at 9th NewBiz Conclave and Business Excellence Awards

An independent jury panel of sectoral experts carried out a rigorous, multi-stage evaluation process to determine the winners.

Read: Babulal Chachan: The Industrialist Who Dreamed Beyond Borders

The event featured powerful conversations on economic transformation. Delivering the keynote address, former Finance Secretary Rameshore Khanal, who also chairs the High-Level Economic Reforms Recommendation Commission, stressed the need for a new wave of home-grown structural reforms to restore investor confidence and drive long-term growth. He highlighted systemic governance flaws, including opaque political financing and outdated legal frameworks.

Read: Khanal Calls for Deep Structural Reforms to Restore Economic Momentum

A high-level panel discussion on the theme “Driving Growth Through Reform” brought together influential voices from politics, business, and technology. Panellists included Gagan Thapa, Member of Federal Parliament and General Secretary of the Nepali Congress; Jabbor Kayumov, CEO of Ncell; Moushumi Shrestha, Executive Director of Shreenagar Agro Group; and Bal Krishna Joshi, tech entrepreneur and founder of Leapfrog Technologies and Machnet Technologies among others. The session was moderated by advocate Semanta Dahal. Discussions focused on urgent policy reforms, better investment facilitation, and scaling innovation in sectors such as digital finance, telecom, and agriculture.

Read: Policy Reform, Investment, and Innovation Take Center Stage at NewBiz Conclave

Earlier in the day, the event was jointly inaugurated by Chief Guest Damodar Bhandari, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies; Special Guest Prof. Dr. Shiva Raj Adhikari, Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission; and Madan Lamsal, Chairman of New Business Age.

 

Minister Bhandari reaffirmed the government’s commitment to implementing the recommendations of the high-level reform commission, while Prof. Adhikari emphasised the urgent need to rethink Nepal’s prevailing development model. Chairman Lamsal, in his opening address, reiterated the platform’s long-standing mission to celebrate Nepal’s enterprise and excellence since its inception in 2013.  

Alongside Asian Paints, sponsors and supporters of this year’s event included Curvv EV, Asian Life Insurance, NIMB Ace Capital, Global IME Bank, Rastriya Banijya Bank, Deposit and Credit Guarantee Fund, NLG Insurance, Assurance Incorporation, Green Valley Resort, FonePay, and Nepal Airlines, among others. Event management was handled by Vogue Ad and Event Management.