SATV, Kathmandu, Aug. 08 - Industrial products manufactured in Makwanpur are exported to India and other third countries.

Industrial goods worth Rs. 659 million produced in the district were exported to India and other third countries during the last fiscal year 2025/26.

According to statistics from the Makwanpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) and the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI), Bagmati Province, six industries exported their products worth Rs. 658.9 million during the last fiscal year 2025/26.

In the previous fiscal year 2024/25, eight industries exported goods worth Rs. 666.4 million. As exports from two industries dropped to zero, the district's overall exports declined in the last fiscal year compared to the previous fiscal year.

According to data from the MCCI and the CNI Bagmati Province, which issue certificates of origin for exports to India and other countries, PACT Group Closure Systems Nepal Pvt. Ltd. and Himalaya Kattha Industry were the largest exporters by value.

The CNI Bagmati Province issued certificates of origin for exports worth Rs. 486.8 million to these two industries alone during the last fiscal year. 

According to the MCCI, PACT Group Closure Systems Nepal obtained certificates for exports worth Rs. 63.6 million, while Himalaya Kattha Industry received certificates for exports worth Rs. 34.3 million.

PACT Group manufactures bottle caps for multinational beverage companies and exports them to India, while Himalaya Kattha Industry exports spice-related products. 

These two companies obtained certificates of origin from both issuing agencies, whereas the remaining industries received certificates only from the MCCI. Exports from Evans Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., which manufactures cancer-related medicines using locally available medicinal herbs, increased significantly.

According to Pawan Karki, Executive Secretary of the MCCI, the company exported medicines worth Rs. 63.5 million in the last fiscal year, up from Rs. 35.9 million in the previous fiscal year.

Meanwhile, Riddhi Siddhi Cement Industry and Unilever Nepal, which had made limited exports in the previous fiscal year, recorded no exports during the last fiscal year.

The exports by Nepal Ekarat Engineering Pvt. Ltd., which manufactures transformers for export to India and other countries, also declined sharply. 

The company exported transformers worth Rs. 40.5 million in 2024/25, but exports fell to just Rs. 1.123 million in the last fiscal year, according to the MCCI. Siddhishree Industries Pvt. Ltd., which began exporting two years ago, exported products worth Rs. 7.3 million during the last fiscal year, compared to Rs. 4 million in the previous year. 

Similarly, Godawari Polysacks and Fabric Pvt. Ltd., a manufacturer of plastic sacks, has recorded no exports for the past three years. A decade ago, Makawanpur used to export billions of rupees worth of crusher-related materials, herbs, ginger and garlic. 

However, exports have gradually shrunk after the ban on crusher-material exports and as multinational industries limited their production to the domestic market.

Industries like Colgate Palmolive Nepal Pvt. Ltd., Everest Mineral Products, Makwanpur Engineering, and others, which used to export goods worth millions of rupees annually, are no longer operational.  Industries like Everest Polymers and Everest Vinyl, have also closed. Multinational industries like Asian Paints and Antarctic Biscuits stopped exporting a decade ago.

Swagat Raj Pyakurel, Vice-President of the CNI Bagmati Province, said that Nepal's industrial sector has not been able to expand export-oriented industries because domestic manufacturers lack competitive strength. 

He said production costs remain high due to financial charges, bank lending rates, inadequate infrastructure and expensive transportation compared to neighbouring countries. 

Nepal's lack of direct access to a seaport alone increases transportation costs by nearly 30 per cent, he added.

He said that the recent conflict in the Middle East has affected international trade and industrial activities.

He stressed that declining private sector investment has further hindered the expansion of export-oriented industries. 

He urged the government to promote exports by providing concessions on raw materials, transportation, electricity, water and bank interest rates. 

According to him, around 300 small and large industries, excluding cottage industries, are currently operating in Makwanpur.