India-Nepal Startup Connect: A Gateway to Cross-Border Innovation

The Embassy of India in Kathmandu kicked off the India-Nepal Startup Connect event, setting the stage for the 2025 Startup Mahakumbh. The event highlighted the growing startup ecosystem, digital public infrastructure, and cross-border collaboration opportunities, driving growth and innovation between the two nations.

The Embassy of India in Kathmandu on Friday hosted the India-Nepal Startup Connect event, a prelude to the 2025 Startup Mahakumbh. Representatives from various sectors, including Indian and Nepali government agencies, academia, and industry, participated to highlight advancements in the startup ecosystem in both countries.

Chief guest Prithivi Subba Gurung, Nepal's Minister for Communication and Information Technology, emphasized Nepal's technological progress and the strong bilateral ties facilitating easy collaboration between Indian and Nepali businesses. Ambassador Naveen Srivastava underlined India's growing digital infrastructure and how it fosters cross-border startup initiatives, citing successful interoperability between Nepal's FonePay and India's UPI.

Key speakers highlighted the potential of the Startup Mahakumbh, poised to feature over 3,000 exhibitors and 10,000 startups. The event aims to showcase cutting-edge innovations across various sectors and build partnerships between Indian and Nepali startups to support incubation, technology development, and commercialization.