Planning Consulate of Nepal in Vizag to boost trade and tourism

Visakhapatnam: In a strategic move to improve its trade and tourism, Nepal plans to open its consulate in Visakhapatnam.

A senior official from the Nepalese Embassy revealed to the Deccan Chronicle: “We have written a letter to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs in this regard. We are waiting for approval to open the consulate. Meanwhile, the Government of Nepal has deputed a team to Vizag. for evaluating various requirements,” the official said.

Nepal’s economy depends significantly on its exports of carpets and clothing. As the country is landlocked, Nepal has an agreement with India to use its Haldia and Visakhapatnam ports for foreign trade. While the Haldia port near Kolkata is the main channel for Nepal’s trade, the Visakhapatnam port has emerged as a viable alternative.

The Visakhapatnam port offers several advantages, including proximity to the Straits of Malacca, advanced logistics and paperless transactions, which enhance efficiency. Despite the fact that Visakhapatnam incurs higher transport costs compared to Haldia, the overall efficiency, speed and low document-free expenses of the Vizag port make it an attractive option for Nepali trade.

Recently, a Nepalese delegation spent three days in Vizag, touring the city and meeting several key individuals, including Nukkasani Balaji, Chairman of the AP Tourism Development Corporation; Kanneganti Vijaya Mohan, President, Andhra Pradesh Tours and Travels Association; Pawan Karthik, Vice President, Andhra Hotels Association; Oruganti Naresh Kumar, President, AP Air Travels Association; and Sambasiva Rao, former president of the AP Chamber of Commerce.

During his interactions, Ambassador of Nepal Surender Thapa expressed his country’s commitment to soon establish a consular office in the port city of Visakhapatnam. The consulate will boost tourism in Nepal while attracting Nepali tourists to Visakhapatnam.