$100 million investment agenda at NRNA Americas regional conference

TORONTO:- The 10th Regional Conference of the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) – Americas Region will feature discussions on investment opportunities worth approximately 100 million US dollars in Nepal, as well as potential collaborations. The conference, themed “Connecting for Prosperity,” is scheduled to take place on April 24–25, 2027, at the Radisson Hotel in Toronto, Canada.

According to Bhuwan Kharel, Regional Coordinator of NRNA Americas, the conference will prioritize the mobilization of the capital, knowledge, skills, technology, and experience of Nepalis living abroad for Nepal’s economic and social development.

The key agenda items for the conference will include the implementation of Non-Resident Nepali (NRN) citizenship alongside investment, concerns regarding citizenship by descent, agriculture, hydropower, the participation of the second generation, and knowledge transfer.

Kharel stated that Nepal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shishir Khanal, has been invited to the conference. Plans are in place to facilitate direct dialogue between government representatives and the Nepali diaspora to discuss investment opportunities, issues related to citizenship, and policy reforms.

The conference will also address issues faced by Non-Resident Nepalis (NRNs) interested in investing in Nepal, such as policy ambiguities, administrative hurdles, and investment security. Kharel stated that discussions will be held regarding collective investment and potential projects, aimed at channeling capital earned abroad into productive industries, businesses, and job creation.

The conference will also prioritize the expansion of investments by Non-Resident Nepalis (NRNs) in the agricultural sector. According to Kharel, coffee cultivation has been initiated in Aapchaur, Gulmi, covering an area of ​​approximately 1,000 ropanis, through an initiative led by Non-Resident Nepalis. There is a target to expand this project to 5,000 ropanis.

The conference is expected to include discussions on the potential for expanding coffee cultivation commercially, increasing production and quality, developing processing and branding, and extending access to international markets.

Priorities will also include leveraging the capital, technology, and market-related expertise of the Nepali diaspora within the agricultural sector to boost production and create employment opportunities in rural areas.

Similarly, discussions will be held regarding the expansion of investments by Non-Resident Nepalis (NRNs) in the hydropower sector and the development of related projects. The conference aims to identify further investment opportunities while addressing challenges concerning energy generation, financial management, transmission infrastructure, and the electricity market.

The conference agenda also includes the effective implementation of legal provisions regarding Non-Resident Nepali (NRN) citizenship, as well as bringing concerns related to citizenship by descent to the policy-making level.

Plans are in place to hold discussions with relevant government authorities regarding the administrative and legal challenges that Nepalis living abroad encounter when exercising their citizenship-related rights in practice.

Emphasis will also be placed on connecting youth of Nepali origin—who were born and raised abroad—with their motherland, and on increasing their participation in NRNA activities.

Discussions will also be held on leveraging the knowledge and skills of Nepali experts, technicians, researchers, and entrepreneurs—who have gained experience in various fields abroad—to foster the development of education, technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship in Nepal.

A proposal has also been put forward to invest the remaining funds—after deducting conference management expenses—into the ‘Nepali Ghar’ (Nepali House) project of NRNA Canada. It is expected that if this proposal is implemented, it will contribute to the development of infrastructure that facilitates gatherings for the Nepali community in Canada, supports cultural activities, and promotes the community’s identity.

Regional Coordinator Kharel has urged Nepalis living in Canada, NRNA activists in the Americas region, and the Nepali community scattered across the globe to provide their active participation and support to make the conference a success.

According to him, the objective is to develop the conference not merely as a venue for formal meetings, but as a platform to establish a concrete foundation for integrating the collective capital, skills, and experience of the Nepali diaspora into Nepal’s economic development.