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A Business-to-Business (B2B) meeting was held in Sri Lanka between the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

The meeting brought together a 50-member Nepali business delegation led by FNCCI Commodity Vice President Naresh Lal Shrestha and Sri Lankan industrialists to discuss ways to promote investment between the two countries.

During the meeting, prominent Sri Lankan business leaders expressed their readiness to invest hundreds of billions of rupees in various promising sectors in Nepal.

Leading the Nepali delegation, Vice President Shrestha highlighted Nepal’s vast potential to generate more than 40,000 megawatts of electricity in the near future. He emphasized that Nepal currently has a strong and stable government and has introduced investor-friendly policies to facilitate foreign investment.

He noted that the government has implemented a “one-window system” for investors and is actively welcoming foreign investment. Given the significant capital requirements of the hydropower sector, he invited Sri Lankan investors to invest in Nepal’s energy projects.

Shrestha also pointed out that, like Sri Lanka, Nepal possesses abundant raw materials necessary for Ayurvedic and herbal industries.

He urged Sri Lankan entrepreneurs to help transform Nepal’s current practice of exporting herbal raw materials at low prices by establishing processing industries within Nepal, thereby generating greater value and profits locally.

He further expressed FNCCI’s commitment to assisting investors by simplifying investment procedures and providing necessary support and coordination with government authorities.

Sagar Bhandari, First Secretary at the Nepalese Embassy in Sri Lanka, stated that investments in Nepal are secure due to the country’s stable government and that sectors such as hydropower, tourism, and Ayurveda offer high returns on investment.

Similarly, Aleka Perera, Deputy Secretary General of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, said that Sri Lankan businesses are prepared to make substantial investments in Nepal’s tourism infrastructure, hydropower projects, and herbal industries.

He noted that Sri Lanka has advanced technology and extensive experience in the herbal sector and expressed interest in establishing industries in Nepal using locally available raw materials. However, he stressed the need for administrative facilitation from the Nepalese government.

Perera also stated that the Sri Lankan side is willing to further strengthen the long-standing import-export trade relationship between the two countries.

During the meeting, FNCCI Central Executive Committee Member Bhakta Bahadur Hamal and President of the Foreign Trade Association, Shiv Kumar Agrawal, delivered separate presentations on bilateral trade relations, the current business environment, and future opportunities between Nepal and Sri Lanka.

The Nepali delegation included FNCCI Central Executive Committee members Pashupati Dev Pandey, Sagar Dhakal, Bidur Dhamala, Nirajan Chalaune, and Biplav Adhikari, along with around 50 Nepali entrepreneurs. More than 50 prominent entrepreneurs affiliated with the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce also attended from the Sri Lankan side.