Setopati hosted the Nepal Fintech Conclave in Kathmandu on Tuesday.
Nepal Rastra Bank Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari inaugurated the conclave on Tuesday afternoon.
Speaking at the event, Chandra Dhakal, president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said that the government should develop digital infrastructure. "This will simplify the payment process and contribute to the overall digitization of the economy," he said.
The event was organized with the objective of bringing together stakeholders of the fintech industry, policymakers, government officials, Nepal Rastra Bank officials, entrepreneurs, experts, and related agencies, and discussing fintech’s growing market and its challenges.
The conclave’s keynote speaker was Ritesh Pai, chief executive officer (CEO) of international payments at PhonePe. He shed light on India’s fintech landscape and PhonePe’s journey and growth.
Pai's keynote speech was followed by three sessions.
The first session, titled "Practical Challenges in Digital Payments," featured Amit Agrawal, co-founder of Khalti; Ravi Shakya, chief strategy officer at eSewa; and Subash Chandra Ghimire, director at Nepal Rastra Bank, as speakers.
Chandan Goopta, country head of Rain Local, moderated the session.
The second session was titled "Digital Public Infrastructure."
Diwas Kumar, CEO of Fonepay; Nilesh Man Pradhan, CEO of Nepal Clearing House Limited (NCHL); and Yuvraj Kattel, director general at the Department of National ID and Civil Registration, shared their views during the session.
The session was moderated by Bhuvan Dahal, former CEO of Sanima Bank.
Bijay Limbu, CEO of Vairav Tech, was the lead speaker and moderator of the final session, titled "Security Challenges."
Hobindra Bogati, senior superintendent of police at the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police; Krishna Ram Dhunju, director at Nepal Rastra Bank; and Shikhar Subedi, information security officer at Global IME Bank, shared their experiences and views during the session.
Global IME Bank was the lead partner of Nepal Fintech Conclave, while eSewa and Fonepay were the main partners.
