KATHMANDU: Nepal News presents today’s snapshot of Nepal’s economic activities. Get quick updates on major market movements, policy shifts, and financial developments shaping the economy of Nepal. Here are the key economic highlights for today:

NEPSE rises by 19.27 points to close at 2,674.20

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) index gained 19.27 points and closed at 2,674.20 points on Sunday, marking an increase of 0.72 percent. A total of 13,193,462 shares of 341 companies were traded through 55,206 transactions, generating a turnover of Rs 5.64 billion. All sectoral sub-indices ended in positive territory. The share price of Salapa Bikas Bank Limited recorded the highest gain of the day, rising by 9.99 percent. In contrast, Himstar Urja Company Limited posted the biggest decline, with its share price falling by 4.16 percent. In terms of transaction value, Radhi Bidyut Company Limited led the market with shares worth Rs 360.5 million traded. Meanwhile, Api Power Company Limited recorded the highest trading volume, with 1,049,844 shares changing hands, according to NEPSE.

NRB records Rs 646 billion from its asset earnings in seven months 

The total assets of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) increased by Rs 646 billion in the first seven months of the current Fiscal Year (FY), with the country’s central bank earning a notable amount from foreign currency-based assets. According to the ‘Statement of Financial Position’ of NRB, the monetary valuation of its total assets has reached Rs 3.317 trillion from Rs 2.671 trillion in the review period. Of the amount, the central bank has foreign currency assets of Rs 3.207 trillion. The NRB invested Rs 2.147 trillion in foreign securities as it purchased gold certificates worth Rs 245.72 billion, which was more than double compared to the amount in mid-July 2025. Likewise, the NRB has deposited foreign currency equivalent to Rs 646.83 billion in fixed accounts of a number of banks abroad.

Passengers urged to check flights status before heading to TIA amid Middle East tensions 

With escalating tensions in the Middle East causing disruptions across international airspace, Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu has urged passengers to check the latest status of their flights before heading to the airport. The advisory comes in light of recent airspace restrictions in the Middle East, which have caused delays, rescheduling, and occasional cancellations of international flights. TIA has emphasized that passengers should confirm the current status of their flights with their respective airlines before traveling to avoid inconvenience. Passengers flying to or from the Middle East are particularly advised to coordinate with their airlines. TIA officials said the airport is closely coordinating with airlines and relevant authorities to ensure smooth and efficient passenger management, despite the ongoing uncertainties in regional air traffic.

Nepal-India Tech Forum 2026 held in New Delhi to boost digital cooperation 

The Nepal-India Tech Forum 2026 was organized in New Delhi on Friday in collaboration with the Embassy of Nepal in India, Genese Solution, and the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI). The forum brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and technology experts to explore opportunities for deepening Nepal–India cooperation in digital innovation, technology infrastructure, and investment. Speaking as Chief Guest and Keynote Speaker, Ambassador of Nepal to India Dr Shankar Prasad Sharma highlighted Nepal’s evolving digital capabilities and called on Indian IT companies to explore investment opportunities. He cited Nepal’s journey from its first IT Policy in 2000 to the National AI Policy 2025 and the ongoing “IT Decade Vision”, noting initiatives such as AI Excellence Centers and the FASG Framework covering Foundation, Access, Skills, and Growth. He emphasized opportunities in cloud computing, FinTech, cybersecurity, and AI, citing existing participation of Indian firms like Infosys in Nepal’s banking sector.

Shikhar Power IPO opens with 1.842 million shares 

Shikhar Power Development Company has opened its IPO for the general public starting Sunday. The company has allocated 1,842,600 shares worth Rs 184.26 million for public investors, while 44,400 shares have been set aside for employees. Earlier, the IPO was distributed to local residents in project-affected areas and Nepalis working abroad. Investors can apply for a minimum of 10 shares and a maximum of 10,000 shares. The IPO will close no earlier than March 10 and no later than March 15. ICRA Nepal has assigned the company an issuer rating of “ICRANP BB,” indicating a moderate risk in meeting financial obligations. Global IME Capital Limited is managing the share issuance and sale.

11,000 quintals of paddy purchased from farmers 

The Food Management and Trade Company Limited, Madhes Province Office, Janakpurdham, has purchased 11,665 quintals of paddy from farmers in Mahottari and Dhanusha in the past three months. According to the provincial head of the office, Nirmal Thapa, paddy worth Rs 42.324 million has been purchased from 300 farmers in Mahottari and Dhanusha districts. In addition, the purchase of paddy has been stopped after the office’s go-down was full. Paddy was purchased at the rate of Rs 3,628.33 per quintal. Since the purchase price of paddy from the office was higher than the market price, farmers came in large numbers to sell paddy, according to the office’s Assistant Manager Ganga Prasad Sah. The company has been purchasing a maximum of 50 quintals of paddy per farmer. Sah said that farmers from Dhanusha Laxminiya Rural Municipality, Nagarain Municipality, Kshireshwornath Municipality and Balwa Municipality of Mahottari are the most among the farmers selling paddy. The office had set a target of purchasing 13,000 quintals of paddy this year.

China-made EVs dominate Nepal’s vehicle imports in seven months of current FY

Nepal’s imports of electric vehicles (EVs) from China surpassed those from India by nearly sevenfold in the first seven months of the current Fiscal Year (FY).Records from the Department of Customs (DoC) show that more than 17,000 EVs, including two-wheelers and three-wheelers, were imported between mid-July 2025 and mid-February 2026. Of these, Nepal imported 2,218 India-manufactured vehicles, while imports from China stood at 14,475 units. In the four-wheeler category, Nepal imported a total of 3,402 vehicles with a capacity of 51–100 kW. In this segment, China accounted for 2,502 units, while 498 units were imported from India and 401 units from Thailand. During the review period, the country also imported 493 EVs with a capacity of 101–200 kW and seven EVs with a capacity of 201–300 kW. The government collected more than Rs 10.5 billion in revenue from the import of four-wheeler EVs.

Farmers in Bhojpur’s Majaule shift focus to profitable commercial garlic cultivation

Farmers in Majaule of Temkemaiyung Rural Municipality-5 are increasingly attracted to commercial garlic farming. Garlic cultivation, which was previously limited to household use, is now developing as a source of income. With the expansion of rural road networks, farmers have started prioritizing commercial farming as the garlic produced by them can now easily reach the market. Bijaya Luitel, a farmer from Majaule, is currently cultivating garlic on about two ropanis of land. She stated that the worry about the market has disappeared as traders now come to the village to collect garlic due to easy road access. According to Luitel, last year, garlic was sold from home for up to Rs 200 per kilo, ensuring good income for the farmers as the production cost was comparatively low and the market price was attractive. Due to suitable soil and climate in Majaule, Garlic farming is establishing itself as a safe crop which yields well and can be stored for a long time. As the production cost is low, garlic farming is becoming profitable even for small farmers. The attraction toward cash crops rather than traditional food grains has been growing, indicating a positive impact on the village’s economic activities. The local government has stated that it is prioritizing agricultural modernization, irrigation management, and technical support.

People’s Campus organizes digital banking awareness program 

With the rapid expansion of digital services and the growing use of online banking platforms, concerns over cyber fraud and financial scams are also on the rise. In response to these emerging risks, People’s Campus organized a digital banking awareness program aimed at educating students about safe online financial practices. The program focused on the increasing use of digital banking channels and the potential threats associated with them. Delivering a presentation at the event, economic journalist Chiranjibi Bhattarai from news24 television highlighted various aspects of digital banking, including online payment systems, mobile banking services, and the use of QR codes in financial transactions. Bhattarai shed light on common cyber threats such as phishing, OTP (One-Time Password) misuse, and online fraud schemes that can occur due to carelessness or lack of awareness. He emphasized the importance of adopting secure transaction practices and urged participants to remain vigilant while conducting digital financial activities. Campus Chief Manoj Bahadur Kunwar noted that with the expansion of digital banking services, incidents of fraud and cybercrime have also increased, urging students and service users to conduct transactions cautiously and responsibly.

Xiaomi opens new official service centers in Birgunj and Janakpur 

Global technology giant Xiaomi has launched official service centers in two major cities of Madhes Province, Birgunj and Janakpur, with the objective of providing convenient, fast, and reliable service to its customers. As part of its continuous service expansion, the company inaugurated the new service center in Adarshanagar, Birgunj on Thursday, February 26, and another in Arbet Mall, Shivachowk, Janakpur on Friday, February 27.With the operation of these new service centers, Xiaomi users in Madhesh Province will now be able to receive official and quality service in their own region. The company believes this expansion will further strengthen customer satisfaction. These centers will provide repair, technical inspection, and service for Xiaomi smartphones, wearables (smartwatches and fitness bands), hearables (earphones and headphones), and various IoT devices. The company stated that all spare parts used during repairs will be completely genuine, and a skilled and trained technical team will resolve issues ranging from minor to complex according to official standards. ‘Teledirector Pvt. Ltd.,’ under Ramesh Corp, which manages the official service for the Xiaomi brand across Nepal, will operate these new service centers.

NOC maintains price of petroleum products ‘as it is’ 

The Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has decided to maintain the current prices of petroleum products in Nepal, even in light of the increase in international petroleum prices. In a statement released today, the Corporation indicated that this decision was made to alleviate the financial burden on consumers. The NOC noted that the price of petrol had risen by Rs 2.09 per liter, diesel by Rs 2.47 per liter, and cooking gas by Rs 18.58 per cylinder in the international market.

Gold price increases by Rs 5,600 per tola

On Sunday, the local market has witnessed an increase in the prices of gold and silver. In comparison to last Friday, gold price has risen by Rs 5,600 per tola (11.66 grams), while silver price has gone up by Rs 245 per tola. According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Associations, the price of hallmark gold is now set at Rs 320,500 per tola, up from Rs 314,900 per tola last Friday. Similarly, the price of silver is now set at Rs 5,985 per tola, compared to Rs 5,740 per tola on Friday. Internationally, reports indicate that one ounce of gold is trading at USD 5,278 and silver at USD 94 for the same quantity.

Air India cancels 50 international flights amid Middle East crisis 

Air India has cancelled 22 more international services for Sunday, taking the total number of overseas flight cancellations announced so far to 50 due to the Middle East crisis. Indian airlines are expected to cancel 444 international flights on March 1 due to airspace restrictions in the Middle East, according to the Civil Aviation Ministry. The Tata Group-owned airline on Sunday said close monitoring and careful assessment of the evolving situation in the Middle East have necessitated further curtailment of its scheduled operations. Flights to and from Mumbai-London (AI131/ AI130), Delhi- Birmingham (AI113/ AI118), Delhi-Amsterdam (AI155/ AI156), Delhi-Zurich (AI151/ AI152), Delhi-Milan (AI137 / AI138), Delhi-Vienna (AI153 / AI154) and Bengaluru-London (Heathrow) (AI133 / AI132) have been cancelled for the day. Other cancelled flights are AI157 / AI158 on the Delhi-Copenhagen, AI2017 / AI2018 and AI2015/AI2016 on the Delhi-London (Heathrow), as well as AI2029 / AI2030 on Delhi-Frankfurt routes, the airline said in a post on X. On Saturday, Air India announced the cancellation of 28 overseas flights on various routes for Sunday.

HSBC keeps Brent crude forecast at USD 65/barrel despite Iran strikes

New Delhi [India], March 1 (ANI): HSBC Global Investment Research has kept its Brent price forecast unchanged at USD 65 per barrel for 2026, even as it warned of rising risks following air strikes on Iran. In a report titled “Strikes on Iran,” HSBC noted that President Trump described a “massive ongoing operation” after strikes were launched. “Given uncertainty, we pull together views related to the economic and market risks of such escalation.” HSBC added that Oil market risk is asymmetrical, with Hormuz transit the main concern and USD likely to have an upper hand in the near-term. While spare capacity in the Mideast Gulf is significant, the bank warned that it would not be accessible if Hormuz is closed. Assessing the larger regional impact, HSBC said that wealth and policy experience safeguarded economic order but any fresh conflict would test sentiment, activity and capital flows in the Gulf and challenge Egypt’s recent external account gains. On Saturday, the United States and Israel carried out joint missile attacks on Iran, with large explosions reported in Tehran and other major cities, signaling a sharp escalation that risks expanding tensions into a broader regional conflict in West Asia.

Nepali cosmetics brand ‘Lali’ opens first flagship store in Kathmandu

Adding a new dimension to the Nepali cosmetics and personal care industry, the renowned brand ‘Lali’ has launched its first flagship store at ‘The Park’ in Durbar Marg. The formal inauguration of the store took place during a ceremony on Saturday. Lali has expanded its retail space with the goal of taking high-quality Nepali beauty products, manufactured using local resources, to the global market. Established with the core mantra of ‘Touch of Nepal,’ Lali has been producing skin and hair care products by blending traditional Himalayan knowledge with modern cosmetic standards. This brand gained significant attention and investment, especially after participating in ‘Shark Tank Nepal.’ Lali’s expert team includes Cabinet Shrestha, Hemraj Dhakal, Saloni Rajbhandari, and former Miss Nepal Priyanka Rani Joshi as the brand’s main face.

Night-time economy prevented in Pokhara in view of election period

The night-time business has been prohibited in Kaski beginning on Monday in view of the sensitivity of the election to the member of the House of Representatives (HoR). According to the District Administration Office, hotels, restaurants, Dohori sanjh (entertainment club for folk-duet songs), dance bars and beverage shops will be allowed to open until 9:00 pm. The order shall remain in force until further public notice. The voting under the HoR polls is taking place on March 5. The district administration has appealed to one and all to cooperate for ensuring peace and security and social goodwill during the election period. It is said the violation of the order and the rule of law is punishable by law. Likewise, the administration has called for decent celebrations during the Holi festival that falls around the major election period. In addition, it has discouraged the organization of any sort of festival, and a musical program creating a crowd in roadways and public places bearing in mind the election security sensitivity and the code of conduct.