Nepal and India on Friday, February 27, underscored the need to deepen bilateral cooperation in digital innovation, technology infrastructure and investment, as policymakers and industry leaders gathered at the "Nepal-India Tech Forum 2026" in New Delhi.
The forum was organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) under its India-Nepal Centre, in association with the Embassy of Nepal in India and Genese Solution.
Addressing the forum as chief guest and keynote speaker, Shankar Prasad Sharma, Nepal’s ambassador to India, said technology had emerged as a key frontier for strengthening Nepal-India relations. He said an “aspirational Nepal and a rising India” could deepen ties through closer collaboration in the digital economy.
He urged Indian technology firms to view Nepal as a promising investment destination, citing the country’s evolving digital policy landscape. Sharma said Nepal’s digital journey had progressed from its first IT Policy in 2000 to the National AI Policy 2025 and an “IT Decade Vision”. He noted that Nepal had developed core digital public infrastructure, including data centres, digital payment systems and citizen platforms, with support from India, the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.
While Nepal produces more than 10,000 ICT graduates annually, he said talent retention remained a challenge, as many professionals leave the country within a few years. He said the government’s FASG framework — covering foundation, access, skills and growth — offered a roadmap for inclusive digital transformation, with AI excellence centres planned in four provinces. He stressed that effective implementation and private-sector partnership would be critical.
Munu Mahawar, Additional Secretary (North) at India’s Ministry of External Affairs and guest of honour at the event, reaffirmed India’s commitment to strengthening tech-driven ties with Nepal. He highlighted recent infrastructure initiatives in border regions, including integrated check posts, petroleum pipelines and improved trade facilitation, and said technology was now embedded across most bilateral agreements.
Mahawar said India prioritised sharing technological capabilities with neighbouring countries, particularly to address common Global South challenges. He noted that the UPI-Nepal payment integration, operational since 2024, had already processed more than one million transactions, with peer-to-peer remittance services expected soon. He also pointed to growing collaboration in startups, education and sector-specific digital solutions spanning agriculture, health, energy and transport.
Speaking at the forum, Manjeev Singh Puri, Chair of the India-Nepal Centre at PHDCCI, said India’s global rise in artificial intelligence and advanced technologies presented significant opportunities for Nepal. He said Nepal’s smaller size was not a disadvantage in the AI era, where language, data and innovation mattered as much as scale.
Shekhar Golchha, former president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said Nepal’s macroeconomic fundamentals were stronger than often perceived, but inadequate job creation continued to push young talent abroad. He said technology could be transformational, particularly as Nepal moves towards becoming power-surplus, creating opportunities for energy-efficient data centres and digital infrastructure.
He said the private sector had set a target of building a $100 billion economy by 2030, calling for structural reforms and deeper India-Nepal collaboration. Golchha also floated the idea of establishing an IIT-level institution in Nepal, describing it as a symbol of deeper institutional and intellectual integration.
Joining virtually, Sushil Gyewali, Chief Executive Officer of the Investment Board Nepal, invited Indian IT majors, AI investors and data-centre operators to pursue long-term partnerships in Nepal. He said Nepal’s renewable hydropower gave it a unique advantage as a clean-energy digital infrastructure destination in South Asia.
Anand Jha, Vice President at Visa Inc, said the company had expanded its engagement in Nepal through capacity-building programmes across all seven provinces. He stressed the need for a regulator-led cross-border digital payment corridor between Nepal Rastra Bank and the Reserve Bank of India, adoption of India’s digital public infrastructure model, and faster digitisation of small merchants and tourism hubs.
The forum featured a roundtable discussion with policymakers, industry leaders and technology entrepreneurs from both countries, focusing on digital public infrastructure, fintech, AI, cybersecurity, investment promotion and skills development.
Officials from the Embassy of Nepal in India and India’s Ministry of External Affairs were among the dignitaries present at the event.
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