Foreign direct investment (FDI) commitments in Nepal fell by 66.39 percent in the first two months of the current fiscal year 2026/27 compared to the same period last fiscal year.
According to the Department of Industry (DoI), Nepal received FDI commitments worth Rs 11.12 billion between mid-July and mid-September. The investment has been pledged for 328 projects, which are expected to create 3,447 new jobs.
Of the total commitments, 322 projects received approval through the automatic approval process, accounting for Rs 9.75 billion. The remaining six projects secured approval through the regular process, with commitments totaling Rs 1.38 billion.
During the corresponding period of fiscal year 2025/26, Nepal had received FDI commitments worth Rs 33.09 billion for 236 projects.
In the single month between mid-August and mid-September, foreign investors committed Rs 6.35 billion to 136 new businesses. These projects are expected to generate 983 direct jobs.
The tourism sector attracted the largest share of FDI commitments during the two-month period. Investors pledged Rs 3.74 billion, or 34 percent of total commitments, for 70 tourism-related enterprises.
The service sector ranked second, attracting commitments of Rs 3.30 billion, equivalent to 30 percent of the total. The investment is proposed for 26 enterprises.
The energy sector received proposed investment of Rs 2 billion, accounting for 18 percent of total FDI commitments, for a single project. Similarly, the manufacturing sector attracted Rs 1.23 billion, or 11 percent, for 18 enterprises.
The agriculture sector received a proposed FDI commitment of Rs 20 million for one project.
In terms of the number of proposed enterprises, the information and communication technology (ICT) sector dominated. A total of 212 ICT-related enterprises accounted for 65 percent of all approved projects during the period.
FDI commitments for ICT-based enterprises stood at Rs 816.91 million, representing 7 percent of the total commitments.
The figures show that although the number of projects receiving foreign investment approval increased compared to the corresponding period last year, the overall value of committed investment declined sharply.
