PhonePe partners with eSewa, HAN Pokhara to promote UPI service in Nepal

PhonePe partners with eSewa, HAN Pokhara to promote UPI service in Nepal:

Fintech firm PhonePe on Wednesday said it has partnered with Nepal's digital wallet service eSewa and the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) Pokhara to promote digital payments through UPI on the Himalayan country's payment processor Fonepay Network.

The partnership is a part of the Fewa New Year Festival which will be held from April 11-14 in Nepal.

Over 3,000 merchants will participate in the festival with more than 1,00,000 visitors expected to visit.

PhonePe in a statement said it will run on-ground activation aimed at raising awareness about digital payments among local merchants while demonstrating the convenience of digital payments for customers.

With kiosks showing how to use digital payments and other interactive activities, PhonePe along with eSewa and HAN Pokhara will showcase the ease of UPI (Unified Payments Interface) payments.

"Our focus will be on creating merchant education and awareness to ensure the uptick of UPI on the Fonepay Network in Nepal," said Ritesh Pai, CEO International Payments, PhonePe.

Jagdish Khadka, CEO of eSewa, said, “Partnering with PhonePe and the Hotel Association of Nepal for the Fewa New Year Festival is an exciting opportunity for eSewa to further promote digital payments in Nepal. As the country’s leading digital wallet, we are committed to enhancing the digital payment ecosystem and providing convenient solutions for both merchants and consumers. With Indian visitors being a major visitor for Nepal, this move aligns well to cater the needs of visitors and enhance their overall experience.”

He added that through this collaboration, we aim to showcase the benefits of using UPI and Fonepay network and empower merchants to embrace digital transactions, ultimately contributing to the growth of Nepal’s digital economy. Additionally, we believe such collaboration will foster greater financial inclusion and accessibility.