Under the aegis of the “India-Nepal Centre” and in collaboration with Visa Inc. and the Banking, Finance and Insurance Institute of Nepal (BFIN), the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) successfully hosted the India-Nepal Fintech Summit 2025 at Hotel Le Meridien, New Delhi.

The summit brought together prominent policymakers, industry leaders, and fintech innovators from both India and Nepal to engage in meaningful dialogue on enhancing bilateral cooperation in the fintech ecosystem. The event focused on key themes such as community engagement, social and digital inclusion, diversity, and the social impact of payment innovations.

His Excellency Dr. Shankar Sharma, Ambassador of Nepal to India, graced the summit as the Chief Guest and Keynote Speaker. Ambassador Munu Mahawar, Additional Secretary (North), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, attended as a Distinguished Guest and Speaker.

The summit was chaired by Ambassador Manjeev Singh Puri, Chair of the India-Nepal Centre at PHDCCI and former Indian Ambassador to Nepal. Mr. Atul K. Thakur, Secretary of the India-Nepal Centre, moderated the sessions.

Key Speakers Included:

• Mr. Md. Alam Ansari, Deputy Director (Startup India), DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Govt. of India
• Mr. Anand Jha, VP & Head of Government Engagement (India & South Asia), Visa Inc.
• Dr. Jatinder Singh, Deputy Secretary General, PHDCCI
• Mr. Anukool Bhatnagar, Adviser, India-Nepal Centre & Former MD & CEO, Nepal SBI Bank Ltd
• Mr. Vaibhav Taranekar, VP, Client Services, Visa Inc.
• Mr. Mehul Gupta, Head, Public Policy & Regulatory Affairs, Visa Inc.
• Mr. Jyoti Prakash Gadia, Co-Chair, BFSI Committee & MD, Resurgent India Ltd
• Mr. Diwas Sapkota, CEO, Fonepay
• Mr. Pranaya Rajbhandari, CEO, FOCUSONE Payment Solutions (MOCO – Digital Wallet)
• Dr. Binod Atreya, Managing Director, BFIN
• Mr. Dushyant Thakor, Deputy Executive Director, WAIPA
• Dr. Seema Sharma, Professor (Economics), IIT Delhi
• Dr. Jayanthi Ranjan, Vice Chancellor, Sharda University
• Dr. Deepak Tandon, Senior Professor (Finance), Jaipuria School of Business
• Mr. Shishir Sinha, Associate Editor, The Hindu Business Line
• Mr. Shashvat Singh, Senior Fellow, India Foundation
• Mr. Aniruddha Shanbhag, Director, Koan Advisory Group
• Mr. Mahesh Kumar Agrawal, Bihar State Coordinator, Seema Jagran Manch
• Mr. Atul Koirala, Board Member, BP Koirala India-Nepal Foundation
• Mr. Bikas Rauniar, Executive Director, Interstate Multi Modal Transport (P) Ltd

Towards a Seamless Cross-Border Fintech Ecosystem

The summit underscored the critical need for robust and inclusive fintech frameworks to streamline cross-border payments and promote regional financial integration. The policy recommendations and insights generated during the discussions are expected to support ongoing efforts to simplify and modernize payment systems between India and Nepal, benefitting both economies through improved business efficiency and financial inclusion.

The India-Nepal Fintech Summit 2025 marked another milestone in strengthening the economic partnership between the two nations, with fintech innovation playing a pivotal role in shaping a digitally inclusive future.