Pokhara has long been celebrated as Nepal’s tourism capital, a city framed by the Annapurna range, carved by the Seti River, and mirrored in the still waters of Phewa Lake. But beyond the paragliders and lakeside cafés, something quieter and perhaps more transformative is taking shape. The Business Promotion Center (BPC) is rewriting what economic development looks like at the municipal level in Nepal, and it deserves far more attention than it currently gets.
Established under the Office of the Municipal Executive of Pokhara Metropolitan City, the BPC operates with a tagline that cuts straight to the point: “Do you have new ideas, but no money to invest? Do you want to be an entrepreneur but lack the funds for new initiatives and investments? Do you need expert advice to run a business?” If the answer to any of those questions is yes, the BPC exists to help.
The Vision Behind BPC
The center was born out of a recognition that Pokhara’s economy, while vibrant, has been heavily dependent on tourism. That dependency became painfully clear during the pandemic years, when visitor numbers collapsed, and thousands of livelihoods were disrupted overnight. The BPC represents a deliberate strategic pivot, an effort to diversify the local economy by nurturing homegrown enterprises across sectors ranging from agriculture and manufacturing to technology and services.
Operating under the broader campaign of “Prosperous Pokhara, Happy City Dwellers,” the BPC’s mandate is ambitious but clearly defined. It was established to improve the business environment in Pokhara Metropolitan City and attract higher investment to help achieve green, resilient, and inclusive growth. This isn’t just bureaucratic language. The center has a detailed Strategic Action Plan, developed with technical support from Sudridh-NURP (Nepal Urban Resilience Programme), that guides everything from policy reform initiatives to grassroots training programs.
The BPC’s operational guidelines were created to promote innovative ideas based on new and modern technology, provide an appropriate business environment and financial access, strengthen the value chain of local products, develop entrepreneurship, improve public-private dialogue, reduce operating costs of businesses, and increase productivity. In practice, this translates into a center that functions as part business incubator, part skills training institute, part employment exchange, and part policy advocacy platform all rolled into one.
What the BPC Actually Does
One of the most common criticisms of government-led business support programs is that they sound impressive on paper but deliver little on the ground. The BPC appears to be a genuine exception. Here’s a look at what the center offers in concrete terms.
Expert Business Advisory Services
The center provides guidance through subject matter experts, facilitation of educational training, availability of general equipment and tools, international experience-sharing training, and simplification of application writing. Aspiring entrepreneurs don’t just get pointed toward a government office, they get hands-on help developing their ideas into viable business plans.
Enterprise Clinic (Udham Clinic)
This is one of BPC’s most innovative programs. Prepared by the Pokhara Research Centre for the BPC, the Enterprise Clinic provides a comprehensive assessment of challenges faced by tourism-related businesses across areas including infrastructure, policy and regulations, financial access and management, marketing and branding, human resources and skill development, and operational management. Think of it as a diagnostic check-up for your business, identify what’s broken, get expert recommendations, and build a path forward.
Business Registration Support
Starting a business in Nepal involves navigating a maze of documentation, ward-level approvals, and registration requirements. The BPC streamlines this process considerably. Through the center, entrepreneurs can get assistance with everything from preparing their applications to coordinating the required field verification. For straightforward registrations, the process can be completed the same day. Even cases requiring field inspection are typically resolved within three days.
Workspace and Infrastructure
The center offers workspace, telephone, internet, and other necessary technical support, essentially giving early-stage entrepreneurs a place to work without the immediate burden of overhead costs. This incubation model has proven effective worldwide, and the BPC is adapting it to Pokhara’s specific context.
Job Matching Platform
The BPC website itself functions as a digital employment exchange. Job seekers can register their profiles, browse available positions, and connect directly with employers. Businesses, in turn, can post vacancies and search a growing database of local professionals. It’s a simple concept, but in a city where informal networks have traditionally dominated hiring, having a transparent, centralized platform makes a meaningful difference. You can explore job listings at BPC Jobs and register as a professional through the Job Seeker portal.
Free Training Programs That Build Real Skills
Perhaps the most impactful thing the BPC does is run vocational training programs, many of them completely free. These aren’t abstract seminars. They’re practical, hands-on programs designed to give people marketable skills they can use immediately.
The center has offered free training in fields such as Panche Baja (traditional musical instruments), cutting and stitching, beauty parlour operations, Montessori teacher training, gold and silver jewellery manufacturing, language courses, AC installation, cooking, barista skills, and plumbing. The variety is remarkable. Whether someone wants to become a professional barista for Pokhara’s growing café scene or learn traditional jewellery-making to preserve and profit from cultural heritage, there’s a program for them.
Training durations range from 65 days to 590 hours, with cohort sizes of 20 to 65 participants per program. Eligibility is straightforward: candidates must be 18 years or older, have basic educational qualifications (typically 8th class or +2 depending on the program), and hold Nepali citizenship. The programs are conducted at the BPC facility in New Road, Pokhara.
The center also organizes specialized programs tied to Pokhara’s economic strengths. Recent highlights include:
City Tour Guide Refreshment Training — In February 2026, the BPC announced a refresher training for local tourist path guides, aimed at upgrading their knowledge, communication skills, and service quality. As Pokhara’s tourism sector recovers and evolves, having well-trained local guides who can offer authentic, informed experiences is becoming a competitive advantage.
Beekeeping (Mauripalak) Training — In January 2026, the center organized a comprehensive beekeeping training program, supporting agricultural entrepreneurship in the region. Beekeeping is particularly well-suited to Pokhara’s geography and climate, and honey production has significant potential as both a domestic product and an export commodity.
Local Product Promotion and Branding — Also in January 2026, Pokhara Metropolitan City launched initiatives to promote and brand locally produced goods through the BPC. This program addresses one of the most common challenges faced by small producers: they make quality products but lack the branding, packaging, and marketing know-how to reach wider markets.
Enterprise Clinic Expression of Interest — In December 2025, BPC invited interested organizations to submit proposals for operating an Enterprise Clinic, signaling the program’s expansion and the center’s commitment to scaling its diagnostic support services.
You can stay updated with all announcements at the BPC News page and the Notices section.
The Pokhara Idea Mart
One initiative that deserves special mention is the Pokhara Idea Mart a signature BPC event that brings together aspiring entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, and industry experts. The concept is straightforward: if you have an innovative business idea, the Idea Mart gives you a platform to present it, receive feedback, and potentially find the funding or partnerships you need to bring it to life. The Pokhara Idea Mart 2081 edition demonstrated growing enthusiasm for startup culture in the city, and the event has become an annual highlight on Pokhara’s economic calendar.
Governance and Partnerships
The BPC is led by a Board of Directors, with the Mayor of Pokhara Metropolitan City serving as Coordinator. The current coordinator is Dhanraj Acharya, who has championed the center as a key pillar of the city’s development strategy. The board includes representatives from both government and the private sector, ensuring that programs remain grounded in real market needs.
The center also operates within a strong network of institutional partners. The Pokhara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), one of Nepal’s most active business chambers, works closely with BPC on trade facilitation and business advocacy. The Lekhnath Chamber of Commerce and Industry supports development across the broader metropolitan area. The Gandaki Province government provides policy support and funding, while the Pokhara Research Centre contributes research and analytical capacity. Internationally, the Nepal Urban Resilience Programme (Sudridh-NURP) has been instrumental in shaping BPC’s institutional framework and strategic direction.
Why This Matters Beyond Pokhara
The BPC model is worth paying attention to for anyone interested in local economic development in South Asia. Nepal’s federal structure, established by the 2015 constitution, has given municipalities unprecedented authority and responsibility. How cities like Pokhara use that authority, whether they simply administer services or actively build institutions that drive economic transformation, will shape the country’s development trajectory for decades.
What makes BPC particularly interesting is its holistic approach. It doesn’t just offer training. It doesn’t just register businesses. It doesn’t just connect job seekers with employers. It does all of these things simultaneously, creating an integrated ecosystem where a young person can walk in with nothing more than an idea and walk out with the skills, the business plan, the registration, and the connections to make it work. That kind of end-to-end support is rare, especially at the municipal level in a developing country.
The center also demonstrates the potential of public-private collaboration. By bringing the government’s reach and the private sector’s expertise under one roof, BPC avoids the common trap of government programs that are well-intentioned but disconnected from market realities.
Getting Involved
Whether you’re a Pokhara resident looking to start a business, a professional seeking new skills, an investor interested in the city’s growing entrepreneurial ecosystem, or simply someone curious about innovative approaches to local economic development, the BPC is worth exploring.
Visit the BPC Homepage to learn more.
Browse available training programs.
Check out the About Us page for a detailed background.
Explore Acts and Frameworks governing business promotion.
Or contact the team directly at [email protected] or +977 061-591108.
Pokhara has always known how to attract visitors. With the Business Promotion Center, it’s learning how to build something even more valuable, a generation of entrepreneurs who will define the city’s future long after the tourists go home.
