Entrepreneurship and Development in Nepal

This book illustrates a connection between entrepreneurship and development in an emerging economy context, focusing on Nepal. That entrepreneurship contributes to sustainable development by creating jobs, elevating economic growth, promoting innovation, and mitigating social and environmental challenges is discussed in other works. Entrepreneurship is linked to several sustainable development goals. However, relatively little is known about entrepreneurship in Nepal at an international level and rarely have researchers attempted to explore the relationship between entrepreneurship and development in the Nepalese context. In this regard, this book generates valuable insights, not only contributing to policy implications but also setting a direction for entrepreneurship research in Nepal within a wider context of sustainable development.

In particular, the book discusses several important issues on entrepreneurship, including migrant entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial ecosystem, social entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial finance, community-based entrepreneurship, and tourism entrepreneurship, issues which are intrinsically connected to the sustainable development of the country. In addition to policy contributions, the book provides a direction for facilitating theoretically underpinned work in entrepreneurship and development in the Nepalese context. The factors driving entrepreneurship, including specific social-cultural and historical factors that remain relevant for emerging economies, and emancipation, inclusion and participation, which are central to achieving development, are to be theorized in order to better understand the relationship between entrepreneurship and development. The topics covered by the book will be of interest to policy-makers from ministries and departments, international organizations, and development partners. 

Pawan Adhikari is Professor of Accounting at Essex Business School, and the Director of Essex Accounting Centre, University of Essex. He is an associate editor of the Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting and Financial Management. He serves in the executive board of Comparative International Governmental Accounting Research Network (CIGAR). His research is within public sector accounting embedding both accounting reforms and issues connected to the engendering of public value in developing countries. Beyond accounting, he has developed research in migrant entrepreneurship, circular economy and climate resilience.

Jay Mitra is Professor of Business Enterprise and Innovation and Director of the Venture Academy at Essex Business School, University of Essex. He is the editor of the new Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies published by Sage. He has written and published widely on the subject of entrepreneurship, innovation and economic development with significant contributions to international refereed journals, through books, chapters in leading research monographs, at refereed international conferences, seminars, symposia and workshops.

Shovita Dhakal Adhikari is Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Sociology in the School of Social Sciences and Professions at London Metropolitan University. Her research is interdisciplinary and covers a broad range of fields, including gender, work, human trafficking, migration, border policing, and global south. She is a member of Global Diversities and Inequalities Research Centre at London Metropolitan University. She is currently working on numerous research including exploring migrant women's experiences in the entertainment sector in Nepal and entrepreneurship journey of left behind women and migrant returnees.

Rupesh K. Shrestha is a dedicated fintech innovator, currently serving as the Chief Operating Officer at Xuno, a leading US-based fintech company specializing in cross-border payments. His pioneering spirit is evident in his role as an Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship at Kathmandu University, where he established Nepal's first business incubator. He also co-founded Idea Studio, a national-level incubator and accelerator program akin to Shark Tank, featuring a reality show on national TV. Rupesh has incubated over 1,000 business ideas and mentored over 300 startups, resulting in over 100 successful businesses. His research interests are entrepreneurial ecosystems and new venture creation. He brings over two decades of expertise in startup strategy and operations.