Exporters of fuel, steel, vehicles and machinery
The main Indian exports to Nepal, sold to traders and distributors in the Kathmandu Valley.[1]
- Dispatch and rail-freight updates
- Payment reminders
- Price-list requests answered by an agent
Bagmati Province27.7° N, 85.3° EWhatsApp Business API
WhatsApp Business API for Indian businesses with customers in Kathmandu
Kathmandu keeps a clock fifteen minutes ahead of India, and Nepal does more than three-fifths of its trade with India. The catch is the template list: Meta has no Nepali, so each message starts with a choice.
For India-based exporters, travel firms, banks and forwarders with customers in Kathmandu: a decision path for every message, from fixing the +977 number to choosing English or Hindi when Nepali is not on Meta's template list, what India's ties with Nepal mean for your list, and what a message costs in rupees.
See it work
Before you send to Kathmandu: four questions
Answer each question for the contact in front of you. The path ends in the template to send, or in a reason not to send one.
Two branches matter most for an Indian team. The first is the number: Kathmandu customers saved without +977 end up as Indian numbers, so the message fails or reaches a stranger, and it is charged at the wrong country's rate if it is delivered at all.
The second is language. Meta approves templates only in the languages on its list, and Nepali is not one of them, so the template is the short, plain English or Hindi opener, and the conversation in Nepali happens in the 24-hour service window that the customer's reply opens. The Nepal guide covers the Privacy Act, 2075 in full.
From the number to the template language
Question 1 · up to 3
How is the contact's number saved?
Your answers
None yet — pick an answer to start down the tree.
Path map
Depth 0 of up to 3. Circles are questions, squares are outcomes.
All possible outcomes (8)
Fix the number first
A Nepali mobile is ten digits, often starting 98, which a CRM built for India reads as an Indian mobile and prefixes with +91. Confirm the country with the contact and save it as +977.
Path: “Ten digits, no country code”
India's rate and India's rules
A traveller planning a Kathmandu trip from India on a +91 number is charged at India's rate. Make sure the number really is Indian, not a Nepali one given +91 by mistake.
Path: “With +91”
Utility template in English (en)
Short, plain sentences: many readers take English as a second language. Charged at Nepal's utility rate.
Path: “With +977” → “An order, booking or payment they made” → “English”
Utility template in Hindi (hi)
Only for contacts who asked for Hindi. Approved by Meta as its own version of the template.
Path: “With +977” → “An order, booking or payment they made” → “Hindi”
A short English template, then Nepali in the chat
Send the update in simple English. When the customer replies, the 24-hour window opens and your agents or chatbot can answer in Nepali, in Devanagari or romanised.
Path: “With +977” → “An order, booking or payment they made” → “Nepali”
Marketing template in English or Hindi
Charged at Nepal's marketing rate. Keep the consent record; the Nepal guide sets out what the Privacy Act, 2075 asks.
Path: “With +977” → “An offer or a new service” → “Yes, with source and time”
Do not send yet
Collect a recorded opt-in to offers first. WhatsApp's policy requires it whatever the law allows.
Path: “With +977” → “An offer or a new service” → “No, or not sure”
Authentication template
A one-time code in English, at Nepal's authentication rate, with nothing else in the message.
Path: “With +977” → “A login code”
Question 1: How is the contact's number saved? 3 options.
Market brief
Kathmandu and India, in the Embassy's figures
From the Embassy of India in Kathmandu and India's Ministry of External Affairs, read on 20 October 2026.
- 01
India–Nepal trade was US$ 9,388.98 million in 2025-26: India exported US$ 7,447.12 million to Nepal and imported US$ 1,941.87 million.[1]
- 02
Merchandise trade with India makes up about 62.3% of Nepal's total trade, and India holds over 32.3% of Nepal's FDI stock, with about 150 Indian ventures operating in the country.[1]
- 03
India is the largest source country for tourism into Nepal, the Embassy says.[2]
- 04
A peer-to-peer link between India's UPI and Nepal's National Payments Interface, for cross-border personal remittances, was launched in June 2026.[2]
- 05
The Indian diaspora in Nepal is concentrated in the Kathmandu Valley and in Birgunj, Biratnagar and Pokhara, working in trade, banking, healthcare and other fields; MEA counts 700,000 NRIs in Nepal.[2],[3]
- 06
Rail freight between the two countries runs on the Raxaul–Birgunj ICD line and the Jogbani–Nepal Customs Yard line.[1]
Indian businesses with Kathmandu customers
Four kinds of Indian business the Embassy's figures point to, and the messages they send to +977 numbers.
Travel and pilgrimage sellers
With India the largest source of Nepal's tourists, Indian operators confirm hotels, guides and transfers in Kathmandu.[2]
- Booking confirmations
- Itinerary changes
- Pickup details on arrival
Banks and remittance services
The UPI–NPI link carries personal remittances between the two countries, and every transfer is a confirmation someone is waiting for.[2]
- Transfer-received alerts
- Login codes
- Service questions answered in the chat
Forwarders on the Birgunj route
Rail freight runs through the Raxaul–Birgunj ICD, and Integrated Check Posts at Birgunj, Nepalgunj and Biratnagar are working.[1]
- Border-crossing updates
- Customs-document reminders
- Delivery slot confirmation
English or Hindi for templates, Nepali for replies
Meta's template list includes English and Hindi but not Nepali. Pick per contact, at opt-in.
A template is the opener, not the conversation. Write it so a reader with English as a second language gets it in one pass: what happened, the reference number, what to do next.
Once the customer replies, the window is open and your agents can write in Nepali, in Devanagari or romanised. InfiQ's own support team works in English and Hindi; the Nepali in those chats comes from your team.
| Language | Meta code | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| English | en | The default for templates to Kathmandu; keep sentences short and plain |
| Hindi | hi | Only for contacts who asked for Hindi |
Prices in ₹ and NPR
What a message to a Kathmandu number costs
Nepal has its own line on Meta's rate card: ₹0.299 for a utility update, ₹6.44 for marketing, ₹0.299 for authentication and ₹0.299 for a service reply, in rupees before GST. Plans start at ₹999 a month.
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 Kathmandu · 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. A traveller from India on a +91 number costs ₹0.19 for the same update. Nepali-rupee amounts in the converter are indicative; InfiQ invoices in Indian rupees, with GST for Indian businesses.
Work out your own monthly cost by message type.
Calculate your exact costOn InfiQ
What an Indian team runs on InfiQ for Kathmandu
For templates in English and conversations in Nepali.
- Template manager and library
Keep the English and Hindi versions of each Kathmandu template in one library and track their approval.
- InfiQ Flows chatbot builder
A no-code chatbot can answer routine questions in Nepali after hours, because its replies go inside the 24-hour window.
- Shared team inbox
Labels and transfers route each Kathmandu chat to the agents who write Nepali.
- Consent records and opt-out enforcement
Each Kathmandu opt-in is stored with its source and time, the record you need when a customer asks how you got their number.
Nearby
City pages near Kathmandu
The nearest city guides on this site, across the border in India first.
The nearest pages are Indian city guides across the border, each looking at its own city's trades at India's rates.
Guides for Kathmandu teams
Questions Kathmandu businesses ask
- Q1
Our customers in Kathmandu read Nepali. Why can't our WhatsApp templates be in Nepali?
Meta approves templates only in the languages on its supported list, and Nepali is not on it. Send the template in short English or, for contacts who asked for it, Hindi. When the customer replies, the 24-hour window opens and your team can write in Nepali.
- Q2
Our CRM saved a Kathmandu customer's mobile as ten digits starting 98, and the message went to India. Why?
A Nepali mobile without its country code has the shape of an Indian mobile, so a rule written for India adds +91. Save it as +977 followed by the ten digits, ask for the country on every form, and check old imports before you broadcast.
- Q3
We sell pilgrimage tours from India that stay in Kathmandu. Which rate applies to messages to our travellers?
Meta charges by the recipient's country code. Travellers on +91 numbers cost India's rate, ₹0.19 for a utility update; hotels and guides in Kathmandu on +977 numbers cost Nepal's, ₹0.299. A traveller who buys a Nepali SIM switches to Nepal's rate.
- Q4
UPI now links to Nepal's payment interface. Can we send transfer confirmations to families in Kathmandu on WhatsApp?
Yes, to recipients who opted in. A confirmation of a transfer is a utility template at ₹0.299 to a +977 number, sent in English or Hindi. Questions about the transfer come back into your inbox, where an agent can answer in Nepali.
- Q5
Kathmandu is fifteen minutes ahead of IST. Does that matter for scheduled broadcasts?
Yes, if the schedule is in Indian time. A 10:00 Kathmandu send leaves at 09:45 IST. Schedule in Nepal's own time zone, Asia/Kathmandu, and the platform works out the Indian minute.
- Q6
We ship steel to Kathmandu traders by rail through the Raxaul–Birgunj ICD. Can dispatch updates go on WhatsApp?
Yes. Dispatch, border-crossing and delivery updates about an order the trader placed are utility templates at ₹0.299 per delivered message to a +977 number. Your system can trigger them through the API as the consignment moves.
- Q7
Our distributor in Kathmandu wants to run the WhatsApp number. Can it hold the InfiQ account?
InfiQ serves India-based businesses: it bills in Indian rupees with GST and keeps customer data in India, so the Indian company is the natural account holder and can message +977 numbers at Nepal's rate. If the account must belong to the business based in Kathmandu, talk to sales about whether InfiQ fits.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on the dates shown. Page updated 2026-10-20.
- [1]Commerce Wing brief · Embassy of India, Kathmandu · read 2026-10-20
- [2]India–Nepal relations · Embassy of India, Kathmandu · read 2026-10-20
- [3]Population of Overseas Indians (as of January 2026) · Ministry of External Affairs, India · read 2026-10-20
- [4]Supported languages (message templates) · Meta for Developers · read 2026-10-20
- [5]tz data 'asia' file: Asia/Kathmandu (UTC+5:45) · IANA Time Zone Database · read 2026-10-20
Fix the +977, choose the language, then send to Kathmandu
Start a 7-day Lite trial, no card needed, and send your first English template once Meta business verification is complete. If your business is based in Kathmandu, talk to sales about whether InfiQ fits.
Route
Kathmandu
Official WhatsApp Business Platform
