Dixit Phuyal’s entrepreneurial plan to ‘upcycle’ and ‘recycle’ old electronic items like mobile phones and laptops for sale is soon becoming a reality. To support his venture, the Nabil School of Social Entrepreneurship (SSE) Fellowship Programme is equipping him with the necessary skills to establish and operate his enterprise.
Similarly, Niranjan Chapagain’s initiative to develop a “digital waiter” technology, allowing customers to place orders independently in hotels and restaurants, has also been selected for the same programme. Like Phuyal and Chapagain, 20 young entrepreneurs have been chosen for the SSE Fellowship Programme under Nabil Bank.
In July, the bank announced a call for proposals for the fellowship programme, inviting Nepali citizens over the age of 18 with innovative ideas in fields like agriculture, tourism, energy, environmental conservation, and information technology to apply for the fellowship.
The SSE programme, conducted in collaboration with the School of Management under Tribhuvan University's Faculty of Management, will provide selected participants with six months of practical training. The training includes three-day residential sessions every month and a year-long mentorship to assist the participants in their entrepreneurial journey.
Nabil Bank launched the SSE programme as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, aiming to encourage youth involvement in social entrepreneurship. The bank has also introduced certification courses for skill development under this programme to foster entrepreneurship among young people.
Since its inception in 2021, the fellowship programme has supported 60 young entrepreneurs, out of whom 56 have established their ventures, according to Manoj Gyawali, the bank’s Deputy CEO.
“Initially, it was challenging to get approval from the Nepal Rastra Bank for this CSR programme,” Gyawali said. “Today, it has become a benchmark initiative in the banking sector, even recognised as a model CSR activity.”
Entrepreneurs emerging from the programme have reportedly created 1,200 jobs.
Additionally, a certification course on entrepreneurship under the SSE programme is being conducted in over a dozen colleges across the country. The three-month course has been completed by 518 participants, with 72 of them having started their ventures, according to the bank.
Nabil Bank’s Chairman, Upendra Poudyal, emphasised that the SSE programme demonstrates the bank’s broader role beyond being a platform for deposits and withdrawals. Similarly, Director Nirvana Chaudhary expressed a commitment to continually promote social entrepreneurship through this initiative.
