Rs 38.59 billion FDI commitments received in five months

KATHMANDU: The government received Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) commitments worth Rs 38.59 billion over the first five months of the current fiscal year.

According to the Department of Industry, foreign investors pledged to invest Rs 1.9 billion in the fifth month (mid-November to mid-December) alone. These projects have pledged to create 1,470 new jobs.

With this, the number of projects that have received FDI approval has reached 438 in five months. These proposed ventures are projected to create 33,814 jobs once they come into full operation.

A majority of FDI commitments came in the small industries sector. According to the Department of Industry, 423 of these commitments were in the small industries sector. Medium- and large-scale industries drew eight and seven FDI commitments, respectively.

The Agriculture and Forestry sector has emerged as the top destination for foreign capital in terms of value. The sector secured Rs 21.88 billion, or 57% of the total investment pledges received during the review period. Interestingly, this investment is concentrated in just 13 projects.

Tourism was next with a total investment commitment of Rs 10.12 billion. The Services sector followed with FDI commitments of Rs 3.38 billion, ahead of Manufacturing (Rs 1.97 billion), ICT (Rs 998.99 million), and Energy (Rs 184.25 million).

The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector, on the other hand, dominated in terms of project volume. The DoI approved FDI for 236 ICT-based projects—54% of total FDI industries—during the review period. However, capital injection in these tech ventures is comparatively lower.

Tourism and Services sectors were next, with FDI approved for 135 and 28 ventures, respectively. The Manufacturing sector saw FDI approval for 24 projects.

Meanwhile, companies repatriated Rs 5.03 billion in dividends over the first five months of 2025/26. Additionally, royalty payments sent abroad amounted to Rs 1.63 billion. A substantial portion of royalties was also paid in US dollars and Indian rupees.