Nepal-India Startup Samvad Boosts Bilateral Innovation

• 24 Nepali startups completed IIT Madras residency; nine received investment and incubation offers
• NICCI plans a Startup Innovation Centre to strengthen Nepal-India innovation ties
• Founders gained labs, mentorship, and global exposure, advancing Nepal’s tech entrepreneurship

The Nepal-India Chamber of Commerce & Industry (NICCI) hosted the Nepal-India Startup Samvad at The Malla Hotel recently, bringing together policymakers, innovation leaders, media and emerging startup founders to celebrate a key milestone in cross-border entrepreneurship.

The event marked the successful completion of the inaugural cohort of the India-Nepal Startup Partnership Network (IN-SPAN) which operates as a flagship initiative of IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation (IIT Madras) with funding from India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

The program allowed 24 Nepali startups to join an eight-week residency program at IIT Madras where they received advanced mentorship, technological guidance and market exposure. The nine startups which received exclusive investment and incubation offers from leading Indian platforms demonstrate the increasing potential of Nepal's innovation ecosystem and the advantages of regional cooperation.

The welcome address by NICCI President Sunil KC established the Chamber's dedication to maintaining innovation and entrepreneurship as vital elements for Nepal-India economic relations.

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The Startup Innovation Centre will function as a connection point for all ecosystem stakeholders according to Vice President Kunal Kayal who explained their plans to establish the center for cross-border operational systems.

The IEDI Nepal guest speaker Er Umesh Kumar Gupta explained that startups require three elements for growth: policy alignment, institutional support, and capacity-building programs.

The Samvad event included a Cohort Reflections Session where founders presented their IIT Madras experiences which showed how laboratory access, investor relations, product development and global standards helped them turn their initial ideas into products ready for the market.

Media representatives showed clear information needs for ecosystem development through their final media interaction which maintained open communication. NICCI recognized participating entrepreneurs as living bridges because they strengthened Nepal-India innovation ties which led to knowledge transfer and regional market integration while establishing Nepal as a center for technology-based business operations.