Nepal’s first Himalayan City Hunt took place on April 6th, 2019. The “Himalayan City Hunt 2019” was organized in association with Visionary International, Akasha Wellness Studio, Nepal Olympic Committee, Peace and Sport Organization, Le Sherpa Restaurant, and Orchid Club & Inn.
I always find it exciting to be part of something new. When I first heard about the Himalayan City Hunt 2019, I was filled with excitement and enthusiasm. We formed a team of five and registered our names for the event. The morning of April 6 was gloomy and it rained heavily. However, the weather did not faze us and we made our way to Le Sherpa at Mahargunj. We toured the Saturday Farmer’s market behind the restaurant. Shortly after that, the Visionary International team gave the participating teams an orientation and got us energized for the Himalayan City Hunt 2019.
Our first task involved reaching Gorakhnath temple in Pashupatinath within 45 minutes. We got a lift to Chakrapath and then took the bus to Pashupatinath. We reached within the mentioned time. In the Gorakhnath temple vicinity, we played some team games. We then received few more tasks to be done within the Pashupatinath area from generating additional income to taking selfies with tourists and babajis. Our seventh task was to return to Le Sherpa within 30 minutes.
Once back at Le Sherpa, individuals from different teams shared their experiences from the day. There were a lot of learning moments throughout the day. From time management, team communication to individual leadership, getting out of our comfort zone, we experienced it all as a team. I had three majors learning moments from the day: trusting your team members, communicating clearly, and actively listening. Before dinner, the results were announced for the event. We were declared the winning team for Himalayan City Hunt 2019. It was a proud moment for us as a team.
Excited to be part of Nepal’s first Himalayan City Hunt 2019. We participated as a team from Fusemachines Nepal. There were four teams. Results coming soon.
Waste management is still fairly a new concept in Nepal. Typically a waste management company visits a vicinity once a week and collects the waste from that area. Then there are about 13000 Khaalisisi friends who go to different neighborhoods on their bicycles to collect old newspapers, books, metal/steel among other things.
Now Khaalisisi, a platform has come around and they are working to make it easier for the waste seller to sell/donate their recyclable trash while increasing business for the waste entrepreneurs (Khaalisisi friends). I recently used the platform for the first time and was delighted with the experience. The Khaalisisi friend came around my scheduled time, weighed the old newspapers I had with his digital weighing machine, and gave me a proper bill. This is certainly taking our recycling industry in the right direction. I’ll be using the Khaalisisi platform for recycling more often in the coming days.
SastoDeal, a local startup from Kathmandu has Sastodeal “Community Leave” program where an employee gets 1 – 3 days paid-leave for him/her to do community work. A worthy initiative by SastoDeal and I encourage other companies to do what they can to take up causes they are passionate about.
I believe that all companies and especially local companies have an important responsibility to give back to the community where they do business. This also comes from the belief that with great power comes greater responsibility. As part of the ecosystem, we have to be responsible to the society and do what we can for its betterment. Having a giving back culture inside the company has countless benefits. First, employees feel good that they are working for a company that is making a difference in the society. Second, it helps in generating positive feelings about the company to potential employees, media, public and other stakeholders. Third, and the most important reason is that giving back is just the right thing to do.
I commend SastoDeal for starting the Community Leave initiative within their company since 2018. It is good to hear stories such as Laxman Gautam who distributed a year’s supply of educational materials in Chauri Deurali, Kavre. I look forward to hearing more stories from employees taking the Community Leave at SastoDeal and also am keen to hear from other companies on their giving back initiatives.
Many technology companies in Kathmandu offer similar benefits to their employees. The benefits are as follows: 5 working days, 2 day weekends, subsidized lunch/dinner, transportation, accidental and medical health insurance among others.
For potential employees considering whether to join one technology company over another, it could be best to look into the work that the company does, its reputation in the ecosystem, growth opportunities and most importantly its culture. Technology companies should highlight their company culture more to attract the right talent. All the other benefits offered are starting to look the same.
It’s a “good problem” when a business has to turn away customers because it does not have the current capacity to fill up their orders. That’s usually a result of a viral activity, marketing stunt, recent media publicity or sometimes just luck. If the business cannot promptly figure out the solutions to this “good problem” then the negative social media, word of mouth and bad customer service will doom the business in the days to come.
Sometimes a lot of marketing without careful planning or proper capacity management will hurt rather than help the business.
It’s easy to look at problems and say there’s no opportunity there. It’s easy to give up when faced with challenges. Yet if you are aspiring to become an entrepreneur or are an entrepreneur right now, problems and challenges are what you thrive in. Problems and challenges test you, your idea/passion, how much grit you have among many other things.
Here’s Dibyesh Giri sharing his entrepreneurial journey of building Smart Tech Solution in Nepal. Interesting to hear how he embraced problems/challenges, kept going and created opportunities!
Rajeev Amatya, Managing Director at daraz.com.np will discuss the “Future of E-Commerce in Nepal” on Monday, October 8th, 2018 at Nepal Tourism Board Hall (Bhrikutimandap) from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
I wrote a blog E-commerce in Nepal heats up, where I shared my assumptions on what would happen in the next 3-5 years in Nepal’s ecommerce scene. The Venture Talk with Rajeev Amatya will provide a great opportunity to understand the current and future of online shopping in Nepal. With Rajeev’s experience in the ecommerce industry for a few years, it would be good to hear his industry insights, market challenges and the next frontier for ecommerce in Nepal.
Binod Chaudhary’s autobiography English version. Photo: nepa~laya
Binod Chaudhary My Story From the Streets of Kathmandu to a billion dollar empire is a story of one man’s ambition, determination and vision.
Binod Chaudhary’s autobiography provides insights into his childhood, business ventures and plans to extend the Chaudhary Group (CG) brand globally. The entrepreneur provides historical context to how his grandfather moved to Nepal from Rajasthan when he was 20 years old. Early business experiences of the author’s grandfather setting shop (Juddha Sadak) in 1934 to his business prowess is shared in the beginning chapters. I loved the anecdote of grandfather opening his shop early in the morning to casually interact with the locals and building relationships. It was a smart exercise in public relations. After grandfather’s passing, Binod’s father Lunkaran Das Chaudhary worked to expand the business delving into exporting jute, construction and flooring and furnishing store. Arun Emporium was the most successful venture out of those.
The author talks about growing up in Kathmandu, his early interests in music and cinema and how he got into managing the family business. I was keen to learn about the origins of Wai-Wai, the popular noodle brand. Until I read the book, I had associated most of the entrepreneur’s success because of Wai-Wai but Wai-Wai is only one of the businesses of the Chaudhary empire. The author touches on his encounters with politics, FNCCI, CNI and relationship with the then royal palace. He also highlights his relationship with many world leaders. In particular, the story of Jeet Bahadur whom Narendra Modi treated like a son is shared. Jeet Bahadur’s story gained national headlines in 2014 and it’s good to know that he was reunited with his family. There is a chapter on the author’s guru, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and how he become an ardent follower of him.
The professional battle stories of Binod Chaudhary showcase the entrepreneur’s business prowess, strong resolve and sheer will to get things done. Stories of Nabil Bank, Butwal Power Company and Mahalaxmi Sugar Mills are shared. A chapter on the start of a MNC highlights the foundation of a multinational company in Singapore with seasoned foreign entrepreneurs. Binod elaborates on a provision pertaining to Non resident Nepalis (NRN) in the Income Act which is worth mentioning. A Nepali who lived outside the country for more than 183 days a year was an NRN in the eyes of the law and thus he or she was free to invest abroad. Binod’s sons Rahul and Varun look after the business interests outside Nepal as NRNs. The later chapters go into the multinational journey of CG from the partnership with Taj, CG Hotels & Resorts (200 hotels by 2020) and the creation of CG’s first global hotel brand – Zinc.
I also liked the Business Mantras section where Binod dives deeper into the qualities and skills that an entrepreneur should possess such as high ambition, building organization, market astuteness, discipline, and negotiation skills among others. Besides sharing his achievements and accolades, he also reflects on the business opportunities he missed and regrets making a few bad business decisions. Self-evaluation section provides an introspective assessment of the author himself and is commendable.
For aspiring and current entrepreneurs in Nepal, the author’s insights and experiences with the Nepalese government, political parties, local competition among other activities present the reality of doing business in Nepal. Despite the abundant challenges that most of us know that exists in Nepal, Binod Chaudhary and the Chaudhary Group’s success domestically and internationally is inspirational in summary.
The author presents challenges for Nepalese entrepreneurs to invest abroad and how he had to find ways to do business outside of Nepal. There are plenty of examples shared of investment friendly countries and their leaders who welcomed Binod to open factories, hotels and plants in their regions. Much can be learned from Binod’s business experiences for the Nepalese government. Some areas where the Nepalese government and relevant ministries can help the country are 1) make legislation better/easier for Nepalese entrepreneurs to invest abroad 2) create an investment friendly climate in the country and remove government redtape 3) have a strategic vision for the country.
Binod Chaudhary’s autobiography is a very good read for someone to understand how the entrepreneur built a billion dollar empire. A must read for the youth of the country and for aspiring/current entrepreneurs who want to build a multinational company from Nepal.
Binod Chaudhary My Story From the Streets of Kathmandu to a billion dollar empire is published by Nepalaya.
Binod Chaudhary shared a famous story of the two salesmen going to the same market to Kitty Pong Sri (owner of Thai Preserved Foods) who was visiting Nepal. He said when the two salesmen went to the market; one came back with the report that since nobody eats there is no market, and the other came back with a completely opposite story – since nobody eats, this is the market! That’s how Wai Wai was born. – Taken from Binod Chaudhary’s autobiography My Story From the streets of Kathmandu to a billion dollar empire.
It’s exciting to witness the growth of ecommerce in Nepal in the last 5-7 years. Alibaba Group acquired the entire share capital of Daraz, the Pakistan-based e-commerce company that has been running online marketplace services in a number of South Asian countries including Nepal (May 2018). Dolma Impact Fund, the first international private equity fund dedicated to Nepal made investment in SastoDeal (June 2018). Dolma was impressed with SastoDeal’s 233% growth just in the last quarter.
Although ecommerce is probably not the first option for many consumers in Nepal, it is certainly becoming much popular and a very good alternative shopping option. Why is ecommerce heating up in Nepal or specifically Kathmandu, the capital? Here’s a few reasons I can surmise:
Many Internet Service Providers are offering higher bandwidth at cheaper prices.
Cash on delivery is still the most used mode of payment so it’s easier for consumers to try the service.
A growing number of consumers are preferring the convenience and choices available in ecommerce sites.
A young and tech savvy population is growing up shopping online.
What’s next for ecommerce in Nepal? What would happen in the next 3-5 years in Nepal’s ecommerce scene?
My assumptions:
Ecommerce will continue to see rapid growth fueled by increased consumer connectivity, easier/better online payment gateways and overall competition.
Retailers will have to offer much better customer service/experience, prices and faster delivery turnaround to match or beat increased online competition.
A replication of Amazon Prime membership model can come into play and the first ecommerce company to leverage this opportunity will win consumers, higher margins and platform loyalty.
More investment will come in domestically/internationally to take the ecommerce platforms outside of Kathmandu and build a nation wide network. Acquisitions are likely as competition increases.
Government will take more interest in ecommerce due to the growing ecommerce market, inflow of investment and as more transactions happen over the web/internet.
What do you think? Looking forward to hearing from you whether you are an online shopper, retailer or someone working at an ecommerce company. Please comment below.
It was 2012. I was feeling that something was brewing in Kathmandu, Nepal. There was a new wave of enthusiasm, drive and hunger to start something-among the youth. Events were happening almost every weekend. There was Startup Weekend Kathmandu, PIVOT Nepal, hackathons to name a few.
The journey from 2012 to now has been long and many tech startups are able to get first mover’s advantage in the domestic market or selling their product/service abroad. Nepalese consumers are becoming more digitally savvy, mobile/internet penetration is growing and we’re noticing a rising ecommerce scene. Founded in 2011, SastoDeal recently got investment from Dolma Dolma’s website states Dolma Advisors Pvt. Ltd. is a consulting firm providing investment advice to international investors including Dolma Impact Fund – the first international private equity fund for Nepal, investing in various sectors and making sustainable and positive social and environmental impact. Stories like SastoDeal is good for the local startup ecosystem. It tells the aspiring and current tech company founders that if you need to take your growing company to another level, there are companies out there to assist you. But first you have to come up with an idea, execute it and show growth. SastoDeal took a risk and bet that ecommerce was going to become popular and culturally accepted over time throughout Nepal. Now most young consumers are shopping online from portals like SastoDeal, Daraz Nepal and Urban Girl etc. Also payment gateways are aplenty and ISP’s are providing better bandwidth at lower prices all helping boost Nepal’s digital economy.
In a lot of the startup/entrepreneurship related events that I had attended in Kathmandu in recent years, I felt that there was not many technology domain investors and funding opportunities available for tech startups. Now we might be seeing a few startups getting some investment to grow their business. If your online/mobile business is growing, the investors will find you. You have to build your business first. If you’re waiting for investors to come knocking so you can start your venture then you will be waiting forever. Start now.
Today was my mother’s birthday so my sister had sent a cake through Thamel.com. A representative from Thamel.com called us in the morning to know our location and gave us a delivery time (around 2pm). We didn’t know if it would be delivered on time. At 2pm, we got a call. The representative was near the neighborhood and made the delivery on time.
A few years back, we had waited hours for a cake to arrive at our home from Thamel.com. It was a bad experience and we had lost our trust with the e-commerce site. But now they had improved their customer service and delivered on their promise.
Many times just delivering on your promise is enough to delight the customer.
I saw an ad on Kantipur on Monday that stated Bajeko Sekuwa was opening its first international outlet in NYC.
A local restaurant from Kathmandu dreams big and starts an outlet in the city where you can find flavors from all corners of the world. This is laudable and I congratulate Bajeko Sekuwa’s management team for this. I have had pleasant experiences dining at Bajeko Sekuwa here in Kathmandu.
Just want to share my two cents on how Bajeko Sekuwa can thrive in NYC (based on my experiences of having lived both in NYC and Kathmandu).
Establish a customer first brand from the beginning (Customer service is highly valued in the US. Each staff should be trained in customer service and should go above and beyond to please the customers.)
Invite food bloggers/food writers for news organizations to your restaurant’s inauguration to generate publicity. I once took the role of a Nepalese Ambassador in Jackson Heights and it was a great way to generate publicity for the restaurant with an interested audience. There are thousands of foodies around NYC waiting to try a new cuisine or discover that new restaurant in town.
Hire service oriented and proactive individuals to look after the restaurant’s website, social media pages and mobile app (if any) (Engagement is key especially in building the brand in a new market.)
Be active in review sites and respond promptly. (Americans love reading reviews before checking out any place such as a restaurant/bar/club etc).
Strive to become the best Nepalese restaurant in the US by providing excellent food and service mixed with the Nepali hospitality.
I voted in the National Parliament and Provincial Assemblies Election today.
Voting is our right. We choose candidates and put them in charge of decision making for our greater good. This is the power that we have as citizens. It’s important to exercise that power when you have it. You can’t complain when you don’t exercise that power when the opportunity is there.
Nepali citizens have been waiting for these elections for a long time. It’s a historic day. You’re not only playing a historic role in the elections but also choosing the type of future you wish/want for the country. As a citizen, I have responsibilities just like the candidates that I am choosing to elect. One of my important responsibility is to participate in the democratic process and vote. Voting itself is an important civic duty. I strongly believe that each vote counts and no one should feel like nothing will happen if he or she did not vote. We are making important choices today for a better future: many will go vote, some will not be able to vote for personal reasons (away from the polling stations, work, other responsibilities etc) and a few won’t participate at all no matter what. Which one are you?
My appeal is that everyone should go and vote. We will pick different candidates with different agendas and goals for the future. That is an important step for us to move forward together. We need to pick candidates that are results oriented, communicate well and deliver/over deliver on what they promise.
What choice are you making today? It’s a very important one. Act wisely.
How do you measure your own performance? What’s your standard? Is it high enough, challenging enough, impactful enough?
The bar you have set for yourself is more important than what others have set for you. The goal is to keep pushing yourself to be better than yesterday, to be growing and evolve with the times. You can be inspired by others to push yourself. There is no lack of motivation for someone who has big dreams and chases them.
Measure your performance by the impact you have made in others’ lives, how happy you are by doing your daily work/living your passion, and what changes you have brought to make this world a better place. Now that’s quite a performance…
It was the word of the day: Leave no stone unturned.
I was attending the Himalaya Toastmasters meeting on September 14. It was a great platform to hear from polished speakers, practice my public speaking skills, network and much more. For students, young professionals and anyone hungry to hone their speaking skills, the Toastmasters club is an amazing platform.
I highly recommend you to participate in or join any of the Toastmasters clubs below. Attend a Toastmasters meeting and leave no stone unturned.
Opportunities are in front of us. Some see it. Some don’t.
Let’s focus on the ones that see the opportunity.
The ones who see the opportunity can do few things. See it and jump into the opportunity. See it and decide not to do it. See it and not make any decision on it. Three choices. That’s it. Many times, I choose the first one.
I live by the statement Strike when the iron is hot.
One such opportunity came about in the form of a toastmaster event. After researching a few Toastmaster clubs in Kathmandu, I stumbled upon Himalaya Toastmasters. They meet on Thursdays at 6pm at SAP Falcha, Babarmahal. I thought it was a great opportunity to go there to practice my public speaking skills plus take a few of my coworkers to experience Toastmasters firsthand. We got to SAP Falcha at 5:45pm and networked with other club members. You can definitely feel a different level of energy in the room. The meeting started at 6pm, continued till 7:45pm with a short networking break in the middle. Within that time frame, we heard from some fine speakers on various topics. There was a Table Topic session where guests could participate. Two guests spoke before me and I wanted to seize the opportunity to speak as well. The third topic was announced “Your younger brother or sister has just failed the exam. You need to console him or her. How would you do it?” I raised my hand and went to the stage.
I gave a short speech on the third topic and it felt great. Later on, I learned that I had won Best Table Topics Award. I was exhilarated. I credit all of this to taking chances and putting yourself out there to continuously improve. By making a decision to attend the Toastmasters event, I was presented with so many opportunities: met other professionals, met old friends, improved my public speaking skills, won a award, got inspired, shared travel stories and created many memories among others. I highly encourage young professionals in Kathmandu to join a local Toastmasters club. The benefits are endless.
Recently, I started a list of tech companies making an impact in Nepal based on the growth of the company in the last 5 years, innovative product or service of the company, local buzz around the company, company culture etc. In the first blog of this series, I talked about Fusemachines.
2. Grepsr
Started in 2012, Grepsr has been quietly making a big impact in the tech scene from Naxal, Kathmandu. Grepsr is a startup focused on simplifying the way businesses discover, track and analyse B2B data through a simple, collaborative and managed data extraction platform. Grepsr, as stated in their website is building a better future where access to better B2B data is much simpler, non-disturbing, and sometimes hidden for the good of businesses everywhere.
The 15+ Grepsr team is led by Amit Chaudhary and Subrat Basnet. They have amassed a noteworthy client list including Twitter, Bain & Company, Target, Groupon and GE Capital to name a few. They are also proud to share that they are based out of the beautiful of Kathmandu (Careers page).
The company has a chrome extension, Grepsr which helps to scrape data from the web. With close to 4500 users, the chrome extension has received rave reviews on the Chrome Web Store. I installed it and found the tool very useful. It’s very simple to use and has an intuitive dashboard. There are a few minor things that needs to be tweaked with the extension but overall its a fantastic tool for scraping data.
If you are interested in working at Grepsr, write in the comments below or send an email to [email protected] with subject line “Grepsr.”
The other 3 technology companies making an impact in Nepal will be featured in upcoming blogs. Stay tuned.
