KATHMANDU: Nepal’s energy sector has achieved a major milestone, recording a dramatic 67.96 percent surge in electricity export earnings to reach Rs 29.32 billion in the fiscal year 2025/26, solidifying the country’s status as a self-sufficient and profitable energy exporter in South Asia.

Fueled by increased domestic hydropower production and expanded cross-border transmission networks, total power exports to India and Bangladesh rose by 62.89 percent to over 3.87 billion units at an average selling rate of Rs 7.56 per unit.

Simultaneously, Nepal’s reliance on external power imports dropped sharply by 31.57 percent to 1.14 billion units during the review year, bringing total import expenditure down to Rs 10.55 billion.

This impressive shift enabled Nepal to secure a record net trade surplus of Rs 18.76 billion from electricity trade alone—a more than fourfold increase compared to the previous fiscal year’s net surplus of Rs 4.53 billion.