PHDCCI India-Nepal Centre hosts roundtable discussion on technology, startups in Janakpur

KATHMANDU: A roundtable discussion on 'India‑Nepal cooperation in new technology and startups' took place in Janakpur on Tuesday. The event was organised by the PHDCCI India‑Nepal Centre in association with the Consulate General of India and the Nepalese Young Entrepreneurs’ Forum (NYEF) Birgunj and Janakpur chapters. More than 40 startups and MSME representatives attended to explore ways to deepen bilateral collaboration in technology‑driven sectors.

Atul K Thakur, Senior Secretary of the India‑Nepal Centre, PHDCCI, chaired the session and opened the discussion with an overview of industrial development in the Madhesh region of Nepal. He reflected on shifting industrial profiles in India and Nepal and said the economic rise of neighbouring Indian states such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh presents fresh opportunities for cross‑border value chain collaboration. Thakur urged that technology cooperation be placed at the centre of India‑Nepal relations alongside longstanding social and cultural ties.

Devi Sahai Meena (IFS), Consul General of India in Birgunj and the event’s keynote speaker, said the roundtable would help align Nepal’s new‑age businesses with Indian counterparts and explore how India’s strengths in technology can benefit Nepali enterprises. He noted that startups and technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) were highlighted at a recent summit organised by the Embassy of India in Nepal and called for closer cooperation in the IT and ITeS sectors, citing India’s established firms as potential partners.

Speakers and participants included leaders from NYEF and local industry bodies, among them Rajeev Kumar Rauniyar, Chandan Singh, Jitendra Mahaseth, Dr Sonu Kumar, Naveen Kumar Shah, Jyuar Rahman, Suraj Rungta, Prakash Shriwastav, Pramod Goenka, Amit Kumar Jha, Ritesh Aryal and Aashish Jhunjhunwala. The discussion covered opportunities for talent exchange, market access and simplifying business procedures to enable stronger private sector linkages.

Organisers encouraged startups to attend the third edition of Startup Summit Nepal, being organised by PHDCCI India‑Nepal Centre in collaboration with The Startup Network Nepal in Kathmandu on December 20. They said the summit and similar platforms are intended to strengthen Nepal’s startup ecosystem and create practical pathways for India‑Nepal cooperation in technology, investment and capacity building.

Participants described the roundtable discussion as a constructive step towards translating dialogue into concrete projects and investments, and called for continued engagement, targeted capacity‑building and sustained private sector partnerships across the border.