Kathmandu, Nepal – 26 November 2025: Visa (NYSE: V), the global leader in digital payments, hosted its
Visa Leadership Conclave Nepal 2025, reaffirming its commitment to advancing Nepal’s digital payments
ecosystem.
The event brought together over 200 attendees, including senior leaders from banking, and fintech partners,
merchants, and payment processors, to celebrate industry excellence and preview Visa Accept—Visa’s
latest acceptance innovation designed to empower micro-merchants and small businesses. Held at
Kathmandu Mariott Hotel, the conclave served as a platform for collaboration and knowledge exchange,
featuring distinguished guests including Mr. Bam Bahadur Mishra, Deputy Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank
and Dr. Satyendra Timilsina, Executive Director, Nepal Rastra Bank. Visa’s leadership team saw
participation from Sabbir Ahmed, Country Manager for Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan and Ramakrishnan
Gopalan, Head of Products for India and South Asia, in addition to Manoj Thapa, Visa’s head of Nepal
business.
Sabbir Ahmed, Country Manager for Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan at Visa, said, “We are pleased to
host Visa’s Leadership Conclave—an event we have proudly been organizing in Nepal over several years.
This is our continuous endeavor to bring together industry leaders to engage in a constructive dialogue on
shaping the future of Nepal’s digital economy. Year on year, this forum reinforces our shared ambition to
digitise Nepal’s payments landscape while reaffirming Visa’s commitment to contribute with market-relevant
world class solutions. Therefore, we felt it was appropriate to showcase Visa Accept at this year’s Conclave,
aligning with Nepal’s digital transformation priorities and reflecting our ongoing commitment to supporting
small and micro-businesses. More than a payments innovation, Visa Accept is a strategic step toward deeper financial inclusion, enabling micro‑merchants to become an active participant in the formal
economy.”
Ramakrishnan Gopalan, Head of Products, India and South Asia at Visa, said, “The Visa Leadership
Conclave in Nepal is not just a celebration of progress—it is an important platform to shape the future of
payments. Visa Accept is an innovative solution developed to streamline acceptance processes and support
the growth of small and micro businesses throughout Nepal. By enabling merchants to accept digital
payments using just their mobile phones, Visa Accept will help drive financial inclusion, accelerate digital
commerce, and support Nepal’s vision of a connected, less-cash economy. This is a significant step toward
creating secure, scalable, and inclusive payment experiences for all.”
The event also featured a keynote address by the Guest of Honor, Dr. Satyendra Timilsina, Executive
Director, Nepal Rastra Bank and Chief Guest, Mr. Bam Bahadur Mishra, Deputy Governor of Nepal Rastra
Bank, followed by an awards ceremony. The award ceremony recognized 13 unique winners across 20
categories for their achievements between July 2024 and June 2025. Categories included consumer debit
and credit cards, prepaid cards, acquiring business, cross-border payments, contactless solutions,
commercial cards, fintech partnerships, product innovation, and merchant excellence. The Visa Leadership
Conclave Nepal 2025 reaffirmed Visa’s dedication to fostering partnerships and delivering cutting-edge
solutions that accelerate Nepal’s journey toward a digitally empowered economy.
About Visa Accept:
Visa Accept provides micro‑merchants with a fast, secure way to begin accepting digital payments by
turning any mobile phone into an acceptance device. Within minutes, businesses can start receiving
payments through Tap‑to‑Phone or Pay‑by‑Link, giving customers a smooth and reliable checkout
experience.
While opening a merchant account could often involve deterrents like complex paperwork, licensing, and
expensive point-of-sale devices, Visa Accept transforms the very architecture by enabling Visa-debit or
prepaid cardholders to instantly convert their existing account into a seller profile through their bank’s mobile
banking app, using just their mobile phone. By lowering entry barriers and simplifying setup, Visa Accept
opens new economic opportunities—especially for home‑based micro‑businesses and women
entrepreneurs, who can use this accessible pathway to grow and scale their ventures.
About Visa:
Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers,
merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our
mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments
network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include
everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money
movement. Learn more at Visa.com.
