NAIMA Mobility Sambaad discusses CKD vehicle assembly prospects for Nepal

KATHMANDU: The NAIMA Mobility Sambaad held at the Institute of Engineering (IOE), Thapathali Campus, on Thursday discussed completely knocked down (CKD) vehicle assembly and its prospects for Nepal.

The discussion was hosted by Lochan Kendra Dhakal, assistant professor at IOE, and featured panellists Laxman Palikhel, deputy instructor at the Department of Automobile and Mechanical Engineering, IOE; Shreekant Yadav, technical director at the Department of Transport Management; and Shekhar Golchha, chairman and managing director of Golchha Group and a board member of NAIMA.

“CKD vehicles are our main focus today. It means that we import from the manufacturer instead of the market. We assemble it in Nepal and supply it to the market,” said Devkota, moderator of the programme.

He said the purpose of CKD vehicles in Nepal is to reduce the cost of duties and import tariffs, thereby lowering production costs. “CKD vehicles will make vehicles more affordable for customers and support self‑reliance in the automotive sector. Furthermore, it develops skills and employment,” he added.

Devkota also listed several challenges to CKD manufacturing in Nepal, including a small market size, a low tax differential between completely built unit (CBU) and CKD vehicles, a limited local supplier base, skill and manpower constraints, and higher maintenance and warranty risk.

Rajkumar Dulal, executive director of NAIMA, said the NAIMA Mobility Sambaad would continue in the coming days with wider collaborations and increased youth participation.

“Through CKD vehicle assembly, policy clarity and collaboration between academic institutions, government and the private sector, Nepal’s automobile industry can be made sustainable and competitive,” said Yamuna Shrestha, board member of NAIMA, in her closing remarks.

The session highlighted Nepal’s potential for CKD vehicle assembly and explored possibilities for job creation, skill development, productivity growth and value‑chain expansion.