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The government is providing concessional loans to 400 startup enterprises in the current fiscal year 2025/26. The Industrial Enterprises Development Institute (IEDI), an autonomous entity dedicated to developing human and knowledge resources for entrepreneurship and business promotion in Nepal, has issued a public notice calling for project proposals from aspiring entrepreneurs seeking startup loans. Interested applicants can submit their proposals by Nov 27.

The loans will be disbursed under the Startup Enterprise Loan Operation Procedure, 2025, approved recently by the government. As per the revised procedure, qualified applicants must demonstrate innovative ideas, knowledge, skills, and the capacity to transform their concept into viable enterprises.

The government has allocated Rs 730m for the program in the current fiscal year. Loans will be offered at a three percent interest rate. Altogether, 765 startups have benefited from the program so far. In the previous fiscal year, 600 entrepreneurs received concessional loans under the same scheme, while 165 were financed in fiscal year 2023/24. 

The government, however, has revised the loan limit for this fiscal year. Startup enterprises, which have received financing of up to Rs 2.5m, will get only up to Rs 2m in the current fiscal year. The minimum loan amount remains unchanged at Rs 500,000. To qualify for the scheme, a startup must be registered as a private firm, partnership firm, company, or cooperative enterprise under relevant laws. Eligible businesses must be involved in the production of goods or services using innovative and creative technology, have growth potential, and not exceed 10 years since registration. Additionally, their annual turnover should not surpass Rs 150m.

The program covers 16 priority sectors, including agriculture and livestock, tourism and hospitality, forest-based industries, science and technology, health services, education, renewable energy, environmental protection, waste management, and climate change mitigation. The IEDI has urged interested entrepreneurs to submit detailed project proposals as per the prescribed format within the deadline. The proposals will be evaluated by a three-member committee as outlined in the amended procedure. Successful applicants will also be offered entrepreneurship and business management training before receiving the loan.

The startup loan initiative, which was first introduced in fiscal year 2023/24, is part of the government’s broader policy to foster a culture of innovation and reduce youth unemployment through entrepreneurship.

The Triveni Synthetic Yarn Industries based in the Bara-Parsa industrial corridor has paid the first installment of the electricity dues under the dedicated and trunk lines.

The industry paid the first installment to the Nepal Electricity Authority on Thursday. Subsequently, the power supply to the industry which was disconnected on October 21 has been resumed from the same day, said Manoj Silwal, Executive Director of the NEA.

Tribeni Synthetic is entitled to pay at least Rs 43.983 million in power tariff dues to the state-owned Nepal. As per the latest agreement, the Industry will pay all its dues divided into 28 installments. 

As the first installment, the industry has paid Rs 1.571 million.

Exports have increased from Birgunj customs point in the current fiscal year. The increase has been reported in the first three months of the current FY compared to the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year.

According to Chief Customs Administrator Bishnu Prasad Gyawali, goods worth Rs 26.59 billion have been exported in the first three months of the current fiscal year. Goods worth Rs 8.84 billion had been exported in the same period last fiscal year.

In the three months of the current fiscal year, 67.13 billion liters of refined soybean oil worth Rs 13.98 billion have been exported.

Similarly, 21.148 billion liters of juice worth Rs 2.7 billion have been exported in the three months of the current fiscal year. In addition, 36.848 billion liters of refined sunflower oil worth Rs 1.7 billion and 24.95 billion pieces of garments worth Rs 970 million and synthetic yarn worth Rs 660 million have been exported.

The government has made it clear that Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) will also benefit from the cross-border transmission line to be built between Nepal and India.

An agreement has already been signed between Nepal and India to jointly construct two additional 400 KV cross-border transmission lines—Inaruwa-Poornia and Dododhara-Bareilly.

For this, a joint venture company is to be established between Nepal Electricity Authority and Power Grid Corporation of India Limited. 

According to the agreement, NEA's share in the joint venture company will be 51 percent in the section to be built in Nepal, shared Sandeep Kumar Dev, Joint-Secretary at the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation.

Similarly, the NEA will have a 49 percent stake in the transmission line to be built in the Indian section.

The ministry has said that the construction of trans-country transmission lines has been given priority to ensure a market for the electricity generated from the power projects for which power purchase agreements have been concluded.