Nepal received foreign investment commitments worth Rs. 11.12 billion across 328 projects during the first two months of fiscal year 2083/84, according to data from the Department of Industry.

The tourism sector attracted the largest share of investment by value, with commitments of Rs. 3.74 billion across 70 projects, accounting for around 34% of the total committed amount.

The service sector ranked second, receiving commitments of Rs. 3.30 billion across 26 projects. The energy sector attracted Rs. 2 billion through a single project, while manufacturing received Rs. 1.23 billion across 18 projects.

The information and communication technology (ICT) sector recorded the highest number of projects. A total of 212 ICT-related projects received investment commitments of around Rs. 816.91 million.

The agriculture sector received a commitment of Rs. 20 million for one project, while no investment commitments were recorded in the mining and infrastructure sectors during the period.

Commitments Down Sharply From Last Year

Foreign investment commitments have declined significantly compared with the same period of FY 2082/83.

During the first two months of the previous fiscal year, Nepal received commitments worth more than Rs. 33 billion across 236 projects. The current year's commitment of Rs. 11.12 billion therefore represents a substantial decline despite the number of projects increasing by 92.

Of the 328 projects approved during the current fiscal year's first two months, 322 projects are set to bring in investment through the automatic approval route, while six projects received approval through the regular route.

The projects are expected to generate around 3,447 new jobs once fully operational.