Hydropower and energy
Electricity generation grew 21% in FY26, though the August 2026 flood damaged hydropower, solar and transmission infrastructure.[2]
- Outage notices to B2B customers
- Project updates for contractors
Asia · Meta market: Nepal
WhatsApp Business API for Nepal: numbers, languages and the Privacy Act
Nepal is fifteen minutes ahead of India, and a contact saved without +977 can be read as an Indian number. Fix the number, choose the template language, then send.
Per message · ₹ · ex-GST
Nepal
- Marketing
- ₹6.44
- Utility
- ₹0.299
- Authentication
- ₹0.299
- Service replies
- ₹0.299
InfiQ’s published rates, effective 1 October 2026.
For Indian businesses with customers in Nepal, and Nepali firms looking at InfiQ: why numbers must be saved with +977, which template languages work when Nepali is not on Meta's list, what the Privacy Act 2075 asks, and what a +977 message costs.
See it work
Save every Nepali number with +977
Pick a sample or type your own. The numbers here are fictional; the converter's rule is real.
Forms and CRMs built for Indian customers often assume +91. For a Nepali customer that turns a working number into the wrong one: the message fails, or reaches a stranger in India.
Capture the country code at the point of opt-in, store every number in E.164, and check old imports for 10-digit numbers with no country code before you broadcast. Meta prices by the recipient's country code too, so a wrongly saved number that does reach someone is charged at another market's rate.
Normalise a Nepali number to E.164
E.164 is the one format phone APIs agree on: a +, the country code, then the number — no spaces, no leading 0.
Try
Any format works: spaces, dashes, brackets, a 0 or 00 prefix.
E.164 for the API
+9779800000001
- Digits
- 13
- For wa.me
- 9779800000001
- Stripped 3 separators (spaces, dashes, dots, brackets).
- Valid E.164: a + followed by 13 digits, nothing else.
No Nepali templates: what to send instead
Meta's template list does not include Nepali, so templates go out in English or Hindi. Replies inside the 24-hour window can be in Nepali.
Customer messaging in Nepal is mostly in Nepali, often romanised in chat, with English common in banking, tech and tourism. That is editorial judgement rather than a measured figure, and it is why the gap in Meta's list matters.
The working pattern: send the template, an order update or an appointment reminder, in plain English or in Hindi. Once the customer replies, the 24-hour service window opens and your agents or chatbot can answer in Nepali, in Devanagari or romanised. Keep template English short and simple, since many readers take it as a second language.
| Language | Meta code | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| English | en | The default for templates to Nepal; common in banking, tech and tourism |
| Hindi | hi | Only where your contacts read Hindi |
Nepal in five lines
Growth, a flood and a graduation, from the World Bank and the United Nations.
Real GDP growth slowed to 3.9% in FY26 from 4.4% in FY25, the World Bank reports.[2]
After the 26 August 2026 flood, the World Bank projects growth of 3.7% in FY27, recovering to 5.2% in FY28.[2]
About 82% of Nepal's workforce is in informal employment, and remittances have been central to growth without creating enough quality jobs at home.[2]
Industry growth in FY26 was driven by a 21% expansion in electricity generation and higher hydropower capacity.[2]
Nepal is scheduled to graduate from Least Developed Country status on 24 November 2026; it asked on 15 May 2026 for a longer preparatory period, and on 21 July ECOSOC recommended that the UN General Assembly act before that date.[3]
Nepal Clearing House runs connectIPS, a real-time retail payment system for customers of member banks, and NEPALPAY QR, an interoperable merchant QR scheme built to Nepal Rastra Bank's NepalQR standards.[8]
Compliance
The Privacy Act, 2075 and a WhatsApp list
The Act does not address direct marketing or messaging apps, and there is no data-protection authority. Its general consent rules are what apply to a WhatsApp list, by interpretation.
The Privacy Act, 2075 (2018) has been in force since it was authenticated on 18 September 2018. It treats telephone numbers as personal information and requires consent to collect personal data, but does not address direct marketing or messaging apps.[4]
Regulator: No dedicated authority; official text published by the Nepal Law Commission
Point 1
A phone number is personal information
Section 2(c) lists a person's address, telephone number and email address as personal information.[4]
Point 2
Ask when you collect; use only for that purpose
Consent must be obtained when collecting a person's personal or family data, and data collected with consent may be used only for the purpose it was collected for (section 12(2)–(3)).[4]
Point 3
Companies need consent to use or pass on data
Personal information held by a public body or body corporate must not be used or given to anyone without the person's consent, except in listed cases such as investigations or court orders (section 26(1)).[4]
Point 4
Breaches are criminal offences
Listed breaches carry up to three years' imprisonment, a fine of up to NPR 30,000, or both (section 29).[4]
Point 5
Platform access has been interrupted before
In September 2025 the government blocked 26 social media platforms, Facebook among them, that had missed a 3 September registration deadline, then lifted the ban on the night of 8 September after deadly protests. Reports differ on the full list; check the current registration rules before relying on one channel.[7]
Point 6
Two more Acts to check
The Electronic Transactions Act, 2063 (2008) and the Consumer Protection Act, 2075 (2018) are also on the statute book; this page does not summarise them.[6]
Point 7
WhatsApp's opt-in rule applies on top
Meta's WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy requires the person's opt-in before a business messages them on WhatsApp.[11]
- A summary of public guidance from the sources cited, not legal advice.
Timing
Fifteen minutes ahead
Nepal Time is UTC+5:45 all year, a quarter of an hour ahead of IST.
Small, but it catches schedulers out. A broadcast set for 09:00 IST arrives at 09:15 in Kathmandu, and a 'send at 10:00 local time' rule needs Nepal's own zone, not India's.
For trekking and travel businesses the clock that matters is often the guest's: a visitor still at home abroad gets your pre-arrival message in their own time zone, and at their own country's rate.
India (IST)UTC+5:30
Nepal Time (Kathmandu)UTC+5:45
Daytime in Nepal, on the IST clockshaded
It arrives at 11:15 in Nepal — inside daytime in nepal. Nepal Time (Kathmandu) is 15 min ahead of India today.
Four sectors with a message to send
Where the World Bank sees Nepal's economy moving, and the WhatsApp jobs that fit.
Tourism
Tourism-led job creation is an early focus of the World Bank Group's Country Partnership Framework; the 2026 flood is expected to disrupt tourism.[2]
- Booking confirmations
- Permit and itinerary updates
- Guest concierge
Agriculture
Agricultural growth slowed to 1.6% in FY26, and paddy production fell 4.2% because of drought and excessive rain.[2]
- Seasonal advisories to farmers who opted in
- Stock and price notices from dealers
Remittance-linked services
Remittances have been central to Nepal's growth, the World Bank says.[2]
- Transaction and remittance-receipt alerts
- Loan reminders
Kathmandu, next door on the map
Under Article 288 of the Constitution, Nepal's capital remains in Kathmandu.
Most of what changes between India and Nepal is not distance but detail: the country code, the clock, the template language and the rate. The inset shows the two countries side by side; this page covers the details.
If you also serve customers further afield, each country is priced at its own rate; the country guides cover each market.
Drag or swipe to rotate. Use the arrow keys to rotate, plus and minus to zoom, and 0 to reset.
Prices in ₹ and NPR
What a +977 message costs
Lite is ₹999 a month and Growth ₹2,999. Messages to Nepali numbers are charged at Nepal's rate: ₹6.44 for marketing, ₹0.299 for utility, ₹0.299 for authentication and ₹0.299 per service reply.
Snapshot rates · as of 20 Oct 2026, 00:02 UTC
Lite
₹999 / month≈ Rs 1,598.40 NPR
₹833 / month, billed yearly≈ Rs 1,332.80 NPR
Everything a growing business needs to run WhatsApp properly.
Growth
₹2,999 / month≈ Rs 4,798.40 NPR
₹2,499 / month, billed yearly≈ Rs 3,998.40 NPR
Lite, plus the API, automation and team scale serious senders need.
Enterprise
Custom volume pricing, custom SLA and dedicated infrastructure.
Per message to Nepal · Nepal
| Category | ₹ INR | NPR |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing | ₹6.4397 | Rs 10.30 |
| Utility | ₹0.2990 | Rs 0.478 |
| Authentication | ₹0.2990 | Rs 0.478 |
| Service | ₹0.2990 | Rs 0.478 |
Per-message rates for all 47 markets, in ₹ and NPR
| Market | Marketing | Utility | Authentication | Service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | Rs 8.70₹5.4352 | Rs 3.66₹2.2874 | Rs 3.66₹2.2874 | Rs 3.66₹2.2874 |
| Bangladesh | Rs 10.30₹6.4397 | Rs 0.521₹0.3254 | Rs 0.521₹0.3254 | Rs 0.521₹0.3254 |
| Brazil | Rs 8.80₹5.4970 | Rs 0.957₹0.5981 | Rs 0.957₹0.5981 | Rs 0.957₹0.5981 |
| Chile | Rs 12.51₹7.8162 | Rs 2.81₹1.7585 | Rs 2.81₹1.7585 | Rs 2.81₹1.7585 |
| Colombia | Rs 1.76₹1.0993 | Rs 0.113₹0.0706 | Rs 0.113₹0.0706 | Rs 0.113₹0.0706 |
| Egypt | Rs 9.06₹5.6629 | Rs 0.507₹0.3167 | Rs 0.507₹0.3167 | Rs 0.507₹0.3167 |
| France | Rs 12.09₹7.5588 | Rs 4.22₹2.6393 | Rs 4.22₹2.6393 | Rs 4.22₹2.6393 |
| Germany | Rs 19.21₹12.0088 | Rs 7.74₹4.8386 | Rs 7.74₹4.8386 | Rs 7.74₹4.8386 |
| Hong Kong | Rs 10.30₹6.4397 | Rs 3.66₹2.2867 | Rs 3.66₹2.2867 | Rs 3.66₹2.2867 |
| Hungary | Rs 12.10₹7.5596 | Rs 4.91₹3.0700 | Rs 4.91₹3.0700 | Rs 4.91₹3.0700 |
| India | Rs 1.51₹0.9435 | Rs 0.311₹0.1941 | Rs 0.224₹0.1402 | Rs 0.232₹0.1450 |
| Indonesia | Rs 5.78₹3.6133 | Rs 3.52₹2.1979 | Rs 3.52₹2.1979 | Rs 3.52₹2.1979 |
| Iraq | Rs 4.80₹2.9992 | Rs 1.11₹0.6943 | Rs 1.11₹0.6943 | Rs 1.11₹0.6943 |
| Israel | Rs 4.97₹3.1045 | Rs 0.746₹0.4662 | Rs 0.746₹0.4662 | Rs 0.746₹0.4662 |
| Italy | Rs 11.18₹6.9847 | Rs 4.22₹2.6369 | Rs 4.22₹2.6369 | Rs 4.22₹2.6369 |
| Kazakhstan | Rs 8.50₹5.3098 | Rs 2.53₹1.5824 | Rs 2.53₹1.5824 | Rs 2.53₹1.5824 |
| Kuwait | Rs 11.15₹6.9671 | Rs 6.19₹3.8671 | Rs 6.19₹3.8671 | Rs 6.19₹3.8671 |
| Malaysia | Rs 12.10₹7.5644 | Rs 1.97₹1.2314 | Rs 1.97₹1.2314 | Rs 1.97₹1.2314 |
| Mexico | Rs 5.58₹3.4877 | Rs 1.20₹0.7471 | Rs 1.20₹0.7471 | Rs 1.20₹0.7471 |
| Morocco | Rs 5.83₹3.6425 | Rs 3.23₹2.0218 | Rs 3.23₹2.0218 | Rs 3.23₹2.0218 |
| Netherlands | Rs 22.48₹14.0494 | Rs 7.04₹4.3987 | Rs 7.04₹4.3987 | Rs 7.04₹4.3987 |
| Nepal | Rs 10.30₹6.4397 | Rs 0.478₹0.2990 | Rs 0.478₹0.2990 | Rs 0.478₹0.2990 |
| Nigeria | Rs 7.27₹4.5421 | Rs 0.944₹0.5898 | Rs 0.944₹0.5898 | Rs 0.944₹0.5898 |
| Oman | Rs 4.80₹2.9992 | Rs 3.47₹2.1709 | Rs 3.47₹2.1709 | Rs 3.47₹2.1709 |
| Pakistan | Rs 6.66₹4.1620 | Rs 2.11₹1.3200 | Rs 2.11₹1.3200 | Rs 2.11₹1.3200 |
| Peru | Rs 9.89₹6.1843 | Rs 4.22₹2.6392 | Rs 4.22₹2.6392 | Rs 4.22₹2.6392 |
| Poland | Rs 5.14₹3.2105 | Rs 1.71₹1.0702 | Rs 1.71₹1.0702 | Rs 1.71₹1.0702 |
| Qatar | Rs 4.80₹2.9992 | Rs 1.69₹1.0547 | Rs 1.69₹1.0547 | Rs 1.69₹1.0547 |
| Romania | Rs 12.10₹7.5596 | Rs 4.07₹2.5436 | Rs 4.07₹2.5436 | Rs 4.07₹2.5436 |
| Russia | Rs 11.28₹7.0520 | Rs 5.63₹3.5173 | Rs 5.63₹3.5173 | Rs 5.63₹3.5173 |
| Saudi Arabia | Rs 8.09₹5.0537 | Rs 1.50₹0.9401 | Rs 1.50₹0.9401 | Rs 1.50₹0.9401 |
| Singapore | Rs 10.30₹6.4397 | Rs 2.25₹1.4072 | Rs 2.25₹1.4072 | Rs 2.25₹1.4072 |
| South Africa | Rs 5.34₹3.3385 | Rs 1.34₹0.8369 | Rs 1.34₹0.8369 | Rs 1.34₹0.8369 |
| Spain | Rs 9.95₹6.2161 | Rs 2.81₹1.7578 | Rs 2.81₹1.7578 | Rs 2.81₹1.7578 |
| Sri Lanka | Rs 10.30₹6.4397 | Rs 0.281₹0.1759 | Rs 0.281₹0.1759 | Rs 0.281₹0.1759 |
| Turkey | Rs 1.53₹0.9587 | Rs 0.127₹0.0792 | Rs 0.127₹0.0792 | Rs 0.127₹0.0792 |
| Ukraine | Rs 12.10₹7.5596 | Rs 4.18₹2.6138 | Rs 4.18₹2.6138 | Rs 4.18₹2.6138 |
| United Arab Emirates | Rs 8.09₹5.0537 | Rs 2.21₹1.3811 | Rs 2.21₹1.3811 | Rs 2.21₹1.3811 |
| United Kingdom | Rs 8.93₹5.5795 | Rs 3.10₹1.9346 | Rs 3.10₹1.9346 | Rs 3.10₹1.9346 |
| North America | Rs 3.52₹2.1976 | Rs 0.478₹0.2989 | Rs 0.478₹0.2989 | Rs 0.478₹0.2989 |
| Rest of Africa | Rs 3.17₹1.9796 | Rs 0.563₹0.3516 | Rs 0.563₹0.3516 | Rs 0.563₹0.3516 |
| Rest of Asia Pacific | Rs 11.85₹7.4057 | Rs 1.59₹0.9938 | Rs 1.59₹0.9938 | Rs 1.59₹0.9938 |
| Rest of Central & Eastern Europe | Rs 12.10₹7.5596 | Rs 2.98₹1.8595 | Rs 2.98₹1.8595 | Rs 2.98₹1.8595 |
| Rest of Latin America | Rs 10.41₹6.5048 | Rs 1.59₹0.9934 | Rs 1.59₹0.9934 | Rs 1.59₹0.9934 |
| Rest of Middle East | Rs 5.52₹3.4490 | Rs 1.28₹0.7998 | Rs 1.28₹0.7998 | Rs 1.28₹0.7998 |
| Rest of Western Europe | Rs 8.33₹5.2054 | Rs 2.40₹1.5019 | Rs 2.40₹1.5019 | Rs 2.40₹1.5019 |
| Other | Rs 8.50₹5.3098 | Rs 1.08₹0.6769 | Rs 1.08₹0.6769 | Rs 1.08₹0.6769 |
Plan prices are monthly, in rupees, excluding GST; yearly billing is two months free. Messages are charged per delivered message on top of the plan, at the rate for the recipient’s country. Full details: InfiQ pricing. Compare the utility and marketing lines before you plan a promotion: in Nepal the template's category drives most of the cost. NPR amounts are indicative; InfiQ invoices in Indian rupees (INR).
Rates for every Meta market, plus plans and add-ons, are on one page.
See all plans and ratesOn InfiQ
On InfiQ, for messaging Nepal
What helps when templates are in English and the conversation is in Nepali.
- Template manager and library
Keep English and Hindi versions of each template in one library and track their approval.
- InfiQ Flows chatbot builder
A no-code chatbot can answer common questions after hours; write its replies in Nepali, since they go inside the 24-hour window.
- Shared team inbox
Once the customer replies, transfers and labels route the chat to the agents who write Nepali.
- Consent records and opt-out enforcement
The Privacy Act ties use to the purpose of collection. Each opt-in's source and time is recorded, and STOP holds.
- Integrations over the API
Send contacts from your forms or store through the API and webhooks, with numbers already in +977 form.
- Guided onboarding
Once Meta business verification is complete, a number is typically live in about two hours.
Getting started
How to start
Indian businesses can start with a trial. Companies based in Nepal start with sales.
From India
Clean the numbers
Find contacts saved without a country code and confirm which are Nepali before importing.
From India
Start a 7-day Lite trial
No card needed. Submit your first English or Hindi templates.
From India
Go live after verification
About two hours once Meta business verification is complete.
Based in Nepal
Talk to sales
InfiQ serves India-based businesses; availability for a company based in Nepal goes through sales.
Based in Nepal
Know the terms
Billing in Indian rupees, customer data processed in India, and support in English and Hindi on India time, fifteen minutes behind Nepal's.
City guides in Nepal
Questions businesses ask about WhatsApp in Nepal
Can we send WhatsApp templates to Nepal in Nepali?+
No: Nepali is not on Meta's list of template languages. Send templates in English or Hindi, then answer in Nepali once the customer replies, because messages inside the 24-hour service window are free-form and can be in any language.
Why do some of our Nepali contacts show up as +91 numbers?+
Because they were saved without +977. Systems built for Indian numbers, including the converter on this page, read a bare 10-digit number beginning 6 to 9 as an Indian mobile and add +91. Re-collect or confirm the country code for those contacts before your next broadcast.
Is WhatsApp reliably reachable in Nepal after the September 2025 platform ban?+
No one can promise that. In September 2025 Nepal blocked 26 unregistered social media platforms, Facebook among them, and lifted the ban after deadly protests; reports differ on which platforms were included. Keep a second channel for critical messages and check the current platform-registration rules.
What consent does Nepal's Privacy Act 2075 need before we send promotions?+
Consent at collection, used only for the stated purpose. Section 12 requires consent when collecting personal data and limits its use to the purpose collected for, and section 26 bars a body corporate from using personal information without consent. The Act does not mention marketing or messaging apps, so treat a WhatsApp opt-in for promotions as its own purpose.
Can trekking agencies message guests before they reach Nepal?+
Yes, and the cost follows the guest's number. Meta prices by the recipient's country code, so a guest with a UK number is charged at the United Kingdom rate even when the trip is in Nepal. Schedule for the guest's own time zone, and take their opt-in when they book.
Can we include connectIPS or NEPALPAY QR details in a message?+
Yes, as a link or QR code from your bank or provider; the payment happens outside the chat. InfiQ does not offer in-chat payments. connectIPS is Nepal Clearing House's real-time retail payment system, and NEPALPAY QR is its interoperable merchant QR scheme under Nepal Rastra Bank's NepalQR standards.
How do message costs to Nepal compare with India?+
Utility and service messages to Nepal cost ₹0.299 and ₹0.299, against India's ₹0.19 and ₹0.145; marketing is ₹6.44 against ₹0.94. All are ex-GST, on top of a plan from ₹999 a month.
Can a chatbot answer customers in Nepali after office hours?+
Yes, inside the 24-hour window. Bot replies are service messages, free-form and in any language, so a flow built in the InfiQ Flows chatbot builder can answer in Nepali; only the templates that open a conversation are limited to Meta's list. Each reply is charged at ₹0.299.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on the dates shown. InfiQ's rates come from its published rate card. Page updated 2026-10-20.
- [1]Constitution of Nepal 2015 (English translation), Articles 6, 7 and 288 · Constitute Project · read 2026-10-20
- [2]Nepal overview (Nepal Development Update, October 2026) · World Bank · read 2026-10-20
- [3]Nepal · United Nations LDC Portal · read 2026-10-20
- [4]The Privacy Act, 2075 (2018), official English translation · Nepal Law Commission · read 2026-10-20
- [5]The Privacy Act 2075 · Nepal Law Commission · read 2026-10-20
- [6]Alphabetical index of Acts · Nepal Law Commission · read 2026-10-20
- [7]'We want mass resignations': Nepal's Gen Z anger explodes after 19 killed (9 September 2025) · Al Jazeera · read 2026-10-20
- [8]Homepage · Nepal Clearing House Limited · read 2026-10-20
- [9]Supported languages (message templates) · Meta for Developers · read 2026-10-20
- [10]Time Zone Database, 'asia' file (Asia/Kathmandu, Asia/Kolkata) · IANA · read 2026-10-20
- [11]WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy (updated 23 September 2026) · WhatsApp (Meta) · read 2026-10-20
Fix the +977, then send your first template
Start a 7-day Lite trial, no card needed, with your Nepali contacts saved in E.164. Companies based in Nepal: talk to sales about availability.
Route
IN → NP
Official WhatsApp Business Platform
