Paras Mani Jirel grew up tinkering with electronic devices. When he was still a boy, he used to take them apart to inspect inside. The intricate world of the circuit board fascinated him– its many interconnected lines, tiny solder bumps, diodes, registers and transistors.

“With time and a lot of mistakes, I figured out the science behind how those devices operated,” says Jirel, who today builds and sells his own guitar amplifiers.

The story of Jirel Electronics started back in 2014. Jirel was in his teens and, like many other boys of his age, he wanted to be a guitarist. But he could not afford a guitar amp. So he decided to build one for himself.      

“I was used to experimenting with electronics for years, so I decided to build my own guitar amp from scratch,” says Jirel.

After building an amp using locally available components, Jirel thought he could make a business out of it. His first handmade amp became the prototype for his future products.

“I wanted to build affordable guitar amps with good sound quality,” says Jirel.    

He started exploring the market to learn about the availability and pricing of components required to make guitar amps.

Jirel began selling his homemade guitar amps in 2017. As business grew, he rented a workspace from where the company is currently operating. Besides amps, Jirel Electronics these days also makes guitar effect pedals, speakers and bluetooth speakers.

The market for locally made guitar amps or any other musical instruments for that matter is still small. This, Jirel says, is because most consumers are still attracted to imported products. 

Nepal imported US$907.89 million worth of electrical and electronic equipment during 2019, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade.

If Nepal were to manufacture basic electronic components, a company like Jirel’s could make and sell products at much cheaper rates. Moreover, the country could have more companies manufacturing various electronic goods. 

When Jirel started his business, his intent was to build, promote and sell locally made products.

“I managed to turn my passion into a full-time job,” he says. With some government support for local brands and products, the country could have more success stories like Jirel’s.