This year, in line with its vision of popularising digital payments via UPI, PhonePe will spearhead several activities during the Fewa New Year Festival.
PhonePe has announced its partnership with e-Sewa and the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) Pokhara to popularise UPI on the Fonepay Network (a digital payment network in Nepal). This is a part of the Fewa New Year Festival, which will be held from April 11–14th.
The New Year festival is not only very popular among citizens all over Nepal but also very popular among Indian tourists who visit the country and enjoy the festivities. Laxman Subedi, President of the Pokhara Hotel Association, said that around 300,000 domestic and international tourists will be visiting the place.
This year, in line with its vision of popularising digital payments via UPI, PhonePe will spearhead several activities during the Fewa New Year Festival. The company will run an on-ground activation aimed at raising awareness about digital payments among local merchants while demonstrating the convenience of digital payments for customers.
With prominent on-ground and digital branding, kiosks showing how to use digital payments, and other interactive activities, PhonePe, along with eSewa (digital wallet in Nepal) and HAN Pokhara, will showcase the ease of UPI payments. Over 3,000 merchants will be part of the festival, with over 100,000 visitors expected.
Ritesh Pai, CEO of International Payments at PhonePe, said, "Our focus will be on creating merchant education and awareness to ensure the uptick of UPI on the Fonepay Network in Nepal.’’
Jagdish Khadka, CEO, eSewa, said, "With Indian visitors being a major visitor for Nepal, this move aligns well to cater to the needs of visitors and enhance their overall experience. Through this collaboration, we aim to showcase the benefits of using the UPI and Fonepay networks and empower merchants to embrace digital transactions, ultimately contributing to the growth of Nepal's digital economy.
Diwas Sapkota, CEO of Fonepay, said, “The New Year Festival serves as an ideal venue to highlight the impact of this collaboration. With its massive turnout, the festival brings people to the heart of Nepal's cultural and economic center, offering everyone the chance to witness and experience the advancements in payment technology.”