KATHMANDU: An all-women panel discussion highlighted the need for stronger collaboration and inclusive policies to strengthen Nepal’s entrepreneurship ecosystem during the closing event of the Business Development Services (BDS) project in Kathmandu on March 26.

The event was held at the Marriott Hotel in Naxal and marked the conclusion of a two-year initiative aimed at strengthening local enterprise support systems.

The panel featured Juna Mathema, Co-founder and Managing Director of Blitz and Executive Committee Member at FNCCI; Cécile Rivière, First Secretary and Program Manager at the Embassy of Switzerland / Swiss Cooperation Office Nepal; and Pratikshya Dahal, Principal Associate at Pioneer Law Associates.

The event was implemented by Innovate Next Impact Pvt Ltd in partnership with The Asia Foundation under the Subnational Governance Program (SNGP) Phase II and brought together government leaders, development partners, private-sector actors, and ecosystem stakeholders to reflect on two years of institutional innovation in enterprise development.

The panel discussed ways to build and strengthen the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Nepal and government priorities and collaborative approaches.

The project was operated across the municipalities of Damak, Bhimeshwor, and Waling, as well as at the provincial level in Koshi aimed to strengthen the local enterprise support system.

Key achievements of the project included the establishment of municipal Growth Hubs, development of tools such as the Growth Hub Handbook, and efforts to facilitate investment through public-private dialogue in sectors like agriculture and tourism.

Speakers emphasized that long-term, government-led institutional systems and gender-responsive approaches are essential for building a sustainable and inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystem in Nepal.