NADA Auto Show 2026 opens in Kathmandu

KATHMANDU: NADA Automobiles Association of Nepal opened the NADA Auto Show 2026 at Bhrikutimandap in Kathmandu today. Vice President Ramsahay Prasad Yadav inaugurated the 18th edition.

Speaking at the inauguration, Vice President Yadav said the automobile sector was "one of the key pillars of the economy" and had become an integral part of Nepal’s economic landscape. He added, "The NADA will succeed in charting a clear and effective roadmap for Nepal’s economic development, advancement and transformation."

Vice President Ramsahay Prasad Yadav attends the NADA Auto Show 2026 organised by NADA Automobiles Association of Nepal in Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu, on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. Photo: RSS

Visitors are seen at NADA Auto Show 2026 organised by the NADA Automobiles Association of Nepal in Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu, on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. Photo: RSS

Yadav said petroleum products should be discouraged in favour of promoting electric vehicles over fossil-fuel-powered alternatives, and praised the Auto Show’s role in generating entrepreneurship. He stressed the need for Nepal to produce automobiles domestically and urged NADA to introduce the Nepali automobile sector to the international market.

He said the government and the private sector should work hand in hand to expand infrastructure such as charging stations to build an environmentally friendly and technology-friendly Nepal, and expressed confidence that the expo would make the Nepali automobile market more vibrant, boosting domestic production and creating employment opportunities.

Addressing the inauguration programme, Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) President Anjan Shrestha called on the government to formulate programmes that boost entrepreneurs’ confidence while the country’s economy faces a challenging situation. He noted that last year the automobile sector contributed Rs 81 billion in revenue to the state, and said the sector, which accounts for about 8-9% of the country’s total revenue, should not be seen merely as a luxury item.

Visitors are seen at NADA Auto Show 2026 organized by the NADA Automobiles Association of Nepal in Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu, on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. Photo: RSS

Photo: RSS

Photo: RSS

Photo: RSS

Photo: RSS

Photo: RSS

Shrestha urged the start of domestic assembly and production of vehicles and spare parts rather than relying solely on imports, and said Nepal must develop production-oriented sectors at home to create jobs for young people.

NADA President Surendra Kumar Upreti highlighted a lack of suitable infrastructure for large exhibitions in Nepal. "Even though the country’s population and economic activity have grown, the exhibition centre hasn’t been able to develop. The current site of Bhrikutimandap exhibition ground doesn’t have enough space for displaying trucks, buses and large equipment, so building an international-level exhibition centre in Kathmandu is a need right now," he said.

Upreti urged the government to regard the automobile sector as more than a trade in vehicles and to recognise its wider economic impact, and said that, given the growing use of electric vehicles in Nepal, there should be policy clarity and incentives for the development of charging infrastructure and a local assembly industry.

The Auto Show, which began under the main slogan 'From Industry to Employment' on the occasion of NADA’s 50th anniversary, will continue until August 30.