Monika Shrestha is Content Manager and Editor at Autoncell. She also oversees many aspects of SEO and Digital Marketing. 

Monika Shrestha 

<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nepal&rsquo;s fintech landscape is on the verge of a major transformation as two of the country&rsquo;s leading digital wallets, Khalti and IME Pay, have announced a historic merger. This marks the first-ever consolidation in Nepal&rsquo;s digital payment industry, with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) set to take place soon.
<h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 14pt; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Strategic Merger to Reshape Nepal&rsquo;s Digital Payment Space</h2>
<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Khalti and IME Pay have been major players in Nepal&rsquo;s digital finance sector, offering diverse services such as mobile recharges, bill payments, remittance processing, and e-commerce transactions. As the competition in the digital payment space intensifies, this merger is seen as a strategic move to challenge eSewa, the market leader that currently holds an 80% market share.
<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">According to insider sources, the newly formed entity will likely be named "<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">IME Khalti<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">" or "<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Khalti Pay<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">", though discussions are still ongoing. While the leadership structure, including the Board of Directors (BOD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), has been finalized, the financial aspects&mdash;such as share ownership&mdash;are yet to be disclosed.
<span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Expanding Market Reach
<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Khalti currently boasts 4 million users, establishing itself as a dominant player in Nepal&rsquo;s mobile payment sector. On the other hand, IME Pay, a subsidiary of the IME Group, has been making waves by leveraging its remittance services to grow its digital wallet presence. By coming together, both companies will be able to combine their strengths, increase market penetration, and enhance service offerings, making them a formidable competitor to eSewa.
<h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 14pt; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Regulatory Support from Nepal Rastra Bank</h2>
<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), the country&rsquo;s central bank, has already laid out regulatory guidelines for digital wallet mergers through amendments to the Transaction and Settlement Bylaw, 2077. This merger will be the first of its kind to take advantage of the new regulatory framework, setting a precedent for future consolidations in the industry.
<h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 14pt; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Road Ahead</h2>
<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Khalti-IME Pay merger signals a new era for Nepal&rsquo;s fintech ecosystem. With evolving user demands and the growing need for secure, seamless, and efficient digital payments, this merger is expected to increase competition, improve service quality, and accelerate financial inclusion in the country.
<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As Nepal&rsquo;s digital payment industry continues to evolve, this landmark consolidation will shape the future of cashless transactions in the country, offering users a more integrated and powerful platform for digital financial services.

Khalti and IME Pay to Merge, Marking Nepal’s First Digital Wallet Union

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