eSewa marks 17th anniversary, rolls out three new features

KATHMANDU: Nepal’s leading digital payment provider, eSewa, marked its 17th anniversary on Sunday, having officially launched services on January 25, 2010.

Operating under the slogan 'Sabai, Sadhain, Sangai' (Everyone, Always, Together), the platform now serves millions with services including mobile top-ups, bill payments, ticketing, insurance, loans and investments.

At the anniversary event, eSewa Chairperson Parshuram Kunwar Chhetri pledged to further improve service quality and security while expanding digital financial access in collaboration with regulators and stakeholders.

CEO Jagdish Khadka said the company’s journey demonstrates Nepali firms can compete globally. "We view this achievement not as a destination, but as a foundation for future innovations," he said, adding that eSewa remains committed to user-focused innovation and the vision of a digital Nepal.

To celebrate the milestone, eSewa rolled out three new features. The first, called 'Talkback', is the first such service by a Nepali payment provider and converts on-screen text to voice in Nepali and English, enabling independent use by blind and low-vision users. The second, 'Intent-based Payment', allows seamless, secure transactions via direct app opening or device authentication such as fingerprint or face ID, skipping MPIN, password or OTP steps. The third, 'eSewa Circle Chat', adds in-app messaging with group creation, bill splitting, gifting and reactions, keeping conversations permanent for easier coordination among friends.

eSewa reiterated its focus on financial inclusion and simplified payments for users, agents and merchants.