From migrant workers to Nepal’s future innovators

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Feb. 9: Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and The Bridge International conducted an entrepreneurship competition for returnee migrant workers.

 The ‘Returnee Innovators Showcase’, funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), was successfully held in Lalitpur on February 7.

This event was part of KOICA’s "Project for Strengthening Stage-Wise Support System for the Stable Reintegration of Korean Returnee Migrants in Nepal", also known as ‘K-HaMi (Korea-Happy Migration) Project’, according to a press statement of South Korean Embassy in Kathmandu.

The competition marked the culmination of the "Returnee Innovators for Nepal (RIN)" programme, implemented by The Bridge International, reflecting on its one-year journey and culminating in a business pitch competition with nine outstanding participants from the programme. 

The RIN programme consists of basic entrepreneurship training in Korea, advanced training in Nepal, incubation support and business competition.

Since 2022, KOICA has invested a total of USD 8 million in this initiative, providing stage-wise capacity-building support in employment and entrepreneurship to support Nepali migrant workers from pre-departure to post-return reintegration. 

Additionally, the programme facilitates startup financing and business incubation for participants who complete the training, read the press statement. 

The KOICA K-HaMi project is implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, EPS Nepal Center, Agriculture Development Bank (ADBL), The Bridge International, Korean Federation of Community Credit Cooperatives (KFCC) and My Social Company (MYSC).

Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Nepal Tae-young Park; Joint Secretary of Labour, Employment and Social Security Nischal Raj Pandey and KOICA Nepal Office Country Director Moo-heon Kong attended the programme.

Approximately 150 representatives from Nepal’s entrepreneurship ecosystem also participated in the event. 

Ambassador Park emphasised the importance of entrepreneurship, encouraging returnee migrant workers to utilise the skills acquired in Korea to drive economic growth in Nepal. 

Joint Secretary Pandey praised the programme’s impact and its role in strengthening Nepal’s entrepreneurial landscape.

During the event, top participants from the RIN programme presented refined business models, developed through an extensive entrepreneurship capacity-building programme. 

They also presented success stories of how they utilised the skills, knowledge and expertise acquired in Korea to establish their own businesses after returning to Nepal. 

From these participants, five exceptional entrepreneurs were selected as winners. 

Among them, Santosh Dahal won the Grand Prize (first place), Dil Bahadur Tamang secured second place and Rajendra Basyal took third place. 

The grand prize winner and other top entrepreneurs received business development funds, including a matching fund of up to Rs. 500,000 as seed capital.

For the past 15 years, the Korean government has designated Nepal as a priority development partner, supporting various initiatives to foster entrepreneurship and economic development. 

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Nepal in 2024, the Korean Embassy published a book featuring the success stories of 26 Nepali entrepreneurs who returned from Korea. 

The publication aims to inspire returnees to utilise their experiences and technical skills to establish businesses in Nepal.

The government of Nepal has been actively promoting entrepreneurship as a means of job creation and economic development. 

By establishing startup guidelines and policy frameworks, Nepal continues to enhance its support for new businesses. 

Korea’s experience in fostering entrepreneurship and its continued collaboration with Nepal are expected to contribute significantly to Nepal’s economic growth.