Submit your Article

With a strong product portfolio and market presence, Xiaomi has been one of the leading smartphone brands in Nepal. The Chinese handset major recently launched the Redmi Note 12 series as well as Redmi 12C in the Nepali market. Besides, the company has recently launched the new Xiaomi Exchange Offer. ApEx talked to Amit Kumar Panda, Country General Manager of Xiaomi Nepal to know about the market expansion of Xiaomi, newly launched products, and the current state of the company’s business in Nepal. Excerpts: Xiaomi has achieved big success in Nepal since its official market inception in 2018. What factors are behind this success? Xiaomi’s success can be attributed to its dedication to providing affordable yet high-quality products, its innovative business approach, strategic global expansion, investment in research and development, and effective leadership. These factors have allowed Xiaomi to attract a wide customer base, foster brand loyalty, stay ahead of industry trends, and establish itself as one of the fastest-growing brands in its field. The brand has become popular among consumers due to its competitive pricing, feature-rich devices, and reputation for offering value-for-money products. We prioritize delivering the best specifications, superior quality, and fair pricing. Xiaomi’s focus on affordable smartphones with impressive features has resonated well with price-conscious Nepali consumers who desire high-quality devices at affordable prices. Our expansion in the Nepali market has been facilitated by effective marketing strategies, extensive distribution networks, and reliable after-sales service. The company has made an effort to understand the needs and preferences of Nepali consumers and tailor its product offerings accordingly. This customer-centric approach has played a crucial role in building a loyal customer base for Xiaomi in Nepal. We express our gratitude to our Xiaomi Fans for their appreciation and support which has helped us to become the number one smartphone brand in Nepal for the past three years. The company has recently launched the Redmi Note 12 series. What are the key features of the phones of this series? With the Snapdragon 685 Mobile Platform, the Redmi Note 12 offers a smooth and efficient multitasking experience across various activities such as photography, gaming, audio, and streaming. On the other hand, the Redmi Note 12 5G is equipped with the Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 5G processor, which provides reliable performance for content creation, gaming, and 5G connectivity. Meanwhile, the Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G utilizes the MediaTek Dimensity 1080 processor, delivering impressive performance for gaming, daily tasks, content creation, camera processing, and 5G connectivity. Our competitive pricing strategy further solidifies its position in the market. By offering affordable options without compromising on quality or features, Redmi attracts a larger customer base and gains market share. This approach enables Redmi to effectively compete with other smartphone brands by providing a compelling value proposition that resonates with consumers in Nepal. The positive perception of Redmi’s affordability fosters long-term customer relationships and opens doors for further market expansion. Could you elaborate on the significance of Redmi 12C’s pricing strategy? The Redmi 12C is designed as an entry-level smartphone to meet the demands of budget-conscious Xiaomi users in Nepal. However, we have not compromised on the technology and specifications of the device. We understand that affordability plays a crucial role as it enables a broader range of consumers to access and benefit from advanced technologies. There is a significant market demand for budget smartphones, and by offering a device with robust specifications at a lower price point, Redmi allows more individuals to enjoy the advantages of modern smartphones. We recognize that many consumers prioritize affordability, and our aim is to provide them with a device that offers excellent value for their money without compromising on quality or features. With the introduction of 5G capabilities at a price equivalent to a 4G device, the Redmi Note 12 5G stands out as the best affordable 5G phone in Nepal. Can you shed light on how Redmi managed to incorporate flagship features without compromising on specs and quality at such a competitive price? Redmi has successfully managed to incorporate flagship features and maintain high-quality specifications in the Redmi Note 12 5G while keeping it affordable in the Nepali market. This achievement is made possible through Xiaomi's strong supply chain, efficient manufacturing processes, emphasis on research and development, direct-to-consumer business model, and strategic pricing approach. These factors collectively enable Redmi to offer a budget-friendly 5G smartphone without compromising on specifications or quality. They prioritize delivering value-for-money products to cater to a wide range of consumers, including those who seek affordable options without compromising on specifications or quality. Xiaomi Nepal has recently launched Xiaomi Exchange Offer. Can you please explain how this exchange offer works and what benefits it provides to customers? The Xiaomi Exchange Offer allows customers to trade in their old smartphones, regardless of the brand, for a discount on the purchase of a new Xiaomi, Redmi, or POCO device. The valuation of the old phones is conducted at www.nayapurano.shop, and the customer can choose to exchange for our phones. This initiative is designed to provide customers with added value and convenience while encouraging them to upgrade to the latest Xiaomi products. Additionally, as a token of appreciation for choosing Xiaomi, we are offering an extra Rs 1,000 off on the purchase of the recently launched Redmi Note 12 5G via Xiaomi Exchange Offer. This demonstrates our commitment to delivering exceptional value to our Xiaomi fans. Moreover, through the exchange process, customers can also upgrade their existing 4G phones to 5G models. Could you shed light on the significance of setting a new benchmark for Nepali smartphone consumers and how it reflects Xiaomi’s commitment to meeting their needs? When Xiaomi sets a new benchmark, it signifies our commitment to pushing the limits of technology, design, and affordability. By introducing advanced features, powerful performance, and competitive pricing, Xiaomi raises the standard for other smartphone manufacturers, fostering healthy competition and driving innovation within the industry. Through the boundary-pushing approach, Xiaomi aims to deliver products that provide excellent value for money while incorporating valuable consumer feedback. This constant drive for improvement allows Xiaomi to enhance the smartphone experience for Nepali consumers and maintain its position as a preferred choice for those who appreciate cutting-edge technology. Nepali economy is currently in a downturn which has affected business activities in the country. How has it impacted Xiaomi’s business? In the current global economic situation, where the economy is experiencing significant strain, we at Xiaomi carefully plan our product offerings. Our focus is on providing pocket-friendly products to our Xiaomi Fans, ensuring that they don’t have to spend unnecessary money. With this in mind, we have introduced the Redmi 12C in various variants and priced them accordingly. As smartphone usage has increased recently, people tend to opt for higher-end and latest models. In response to this trend, we have adjusted our plans and pricing, taking into account the prevailing recessionary conditions. Our aim is to launch products in price ranges that are easily affordable for our Xiaomi fans. We are delighted with our market growth and the fact that we have been leading the market. Compared to the previous year, our growth has reached a significant 35 percent. Despite the challenging economic circumstances, it has been a blessing for us that our Xiaomi fans have shown immense love and support for both us and our new product offerings.

The country witnessed a marked increase in temperature this summer. In many districts of the Tarai plains, the mercury has soared above the 40°C mark, affecting everyday life. In this context, ApEx caught up with Sanot Adhikari, an environmental expert, to know more about the effects of sudden rise in temperature. Weather in Nepal now is different from what it used to be. How worse can it get? This year, the temperature all over Nepal rose drastically. The same thing had happened in the year 2005. So the possibility for the temperature rise was always there. But with the increasing climate change, predicting weather has become challenging. When we analyze the weather changes seen in the past few years, none of them have followed a certain trend. It’s random. For instance, even this year, it snowed during February and March, rather than December and January. There is a possibility that the weather in the coming years might get worse, but we can’t say that with certainty since the weather changes now have become unpredictable. Is there anything that can be done to improve the climate or is it already too late?  Sadly, it’s too late to go back to stabilize the weather. Climate change has had a severe effect on global weather, and the impact isn’t reversible. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t things we can do to not let this get worse. First would be to reduce the emission of harmful gasses like carbon monoxide. But the problem is, emission of harmful gasses is a global problem, while the effect is being seen locally. It’s true that Nepal, in some percentage, has contributed to climate change, but it’s mostly the developed countries that have made the climate change worse. So, it all comes down to how the emission of such gasses can be reduced globally, rather than what can be done only in Nepal. How has this weather change affected our ecosystem? Recently, I came across a news article that said there was a landslide in Sankhuwasabha. It’s a district located in himalayan region. There, a layer of snow is usually hidden inside a layer of mud, since the region is quite cold. Since the temperature rose, the snow melted, resulting in a severe landslide. This is just one example of how the ecosystem of Nepal is slowly being affected with this rise in temperature. Similarly, the amount of water has been decreasing in 70 percent of water sources all across Nepal. And since Nepal’s ecosystem is quite diverse, the effects vary from one region to another. But the bottom line is that climate change has put many living organisms as well as civilization at risk of unprecedented disasters and ecological changes. How has climate change affected people’s general lifestyle? Climate and weather contribute a lot to public health issues. Firstly, looking at the current heat and the ultraviolet (UV) rays that everyone is subjected to, most people are at risk of getting skin-related diseases. Secondly, since most of our water resources are drying up, there is also a problem of proper sanitation and hygiene in rural areas. Also, it’s during the summer when people often suffer from health issues like diarrhea, cholera and dysentery. With the increasing temperature, these health issues become more contagious. Are we on the verge of losing some rare floras and faunas because of this drastic weather change? Definitely. Climate change is one of the major reasons behind biodiversity loss. Every flora and fauna has a specific kind of habitat, and cannot sustain when the characteristics of that habitat changes. I can’t exactly name the organisms that have gone extinct, but there are many who haven’t been able to survive because of weather changes we have been witnessing within the past few years. If this continues, we will lose several rare floras and faunas due to unprecedented changes in their habitat.

NCash is a new digital wallet developed by Sulav Pay Pvt. Ltd, a digital payment startup. Though the company has not officially launched the wallet, it has already started operations a couple of months ago. ApEx talked to Radhika Adukia, Chief Marketing Officer of Sulav Pay, to know more about NCash and the company. Excerpts: What is a NCash wallet? NCash is a digital wallet platform similar to other digital wallets. We want to make the digital payment experience easy, convenient, and the preferred payment method. It is hassle-free as you don’t have to look around to check if you have changed money or if at times you forget to take the cash you will still be able to make payments through the phone, so in a way it gives individuals freedom. We’re not trying to be the most used wallet, or the wallet you buy events from, or fit into a certain category. We want to be something of a ‘financial Swiss army knife’ for the everyday person. Through our app, users can not only spend but also earn money. We’re trying to build a ‘brand with a personality’ which is something brands in Nepal lack. For example, when you think of Apple you think of a cool and hip person. We try to personify NCash, to make it more relatable to everyone. We know finance is boring. We know digital wallets are boring. Our aim is to make NCash more fun, be it with our ads, our presence, or our product. How is NCash different from other digital wallet platforms? There are several digital wallets in Nepal; many of the apps have existed for a couple of years, and many are emerging. We aim to be different by providing a user-friendly interface, fast and secure transactions, offline payments, offers, and an opportunity to earn back the money users have spent. Further, our app is supported by three major QR services in Nepal, namely Fonepay, NepalPay, and Smart QR. It means you can make payments anywhere even if the server of one QR is down payments can still be made through others. We have many other unique features coming soon to our app which differentiates us from the other wallets. We’re in the business of providing a better user experience through our technology. Whether that be for the user or businesses, and that’s what we will capitalize off of. What is your company’s goal? Our goal is to empower the new generation by making transactions and payments easy. I have seen many companies around the world that have used the phrase “empowering the new generation” without doing anything that actually empowers us. But with NCash that is not the case. One of our features is called minor KYC which means users who are not 18 yet are able to open an NCash account that is linked to the accounts of their parents. So, the parents can load their pocket money on the app and their children can use it. But here’s the catch, so naturally parents want to know where their child is spending the money, so we provide parents with a summary of the different sectors their child has spent money on, for example, Rs 300 on food and beverages, Rs 200 on entertainment, 100 on transportation. Now to empower the youths, we do not provide parents with a detailed transaction history which is on what items their child spent money on, for example, maybe they bought flowers or gifts for their girlfriend or boyfriend. We will put that under a certain category that the parents can see but they will not know about the items their children have spent money on. Many of our ideas for the wallet have come from things we have experienced or seen our friends in universities go through. As students, we are constantly looking for ways to save, earn and be financially dependent so our features are based on how we can help the youths reach that point. The main goal is to be able to provide the new generation with the financial liberty, knowledge, and independence that as youths we look for. Likewise, we are working with standup comic artists of Nepal to provide them with a platform to showcase their skills. We have some amazing talents in Nepal, and I believe we should provide them with a platform in Nepal itself. My plan is to be able to collaborate with many different talents and give them an opportunity to show their skills. We want our youths to feel like they have good opportunities for self-growth and development in Nepal itself. There’s a growing trend of wanting to move abroad because of a lack of support or growth here and in NCash our goal is to provide the same support and growth in Nepal itself. How is Sulav Pay’s business currently?  It is a new startup, so we have not officially launched it yet. Even then we have around 200,000 users, which is a great achievement looking at how we have not launched yet nor have we done any major marketing. It is said that there is a lower profit margin in the mobile wallet business. What is the case with NCash?  It is true that there is less profit margin, especially for startups. But our business model is different from what you might expect. We don’t want to leech off of users and crazy transaction fees etc; we want to capitalize off of our technology. When our technology is up to the mark, any charges are justified too, but until they are, we can’t expect users to pay anything. We’re going towards a more subscription model, where both merchants will earn benefits and ease, and so will the users. And we don’t want to gatekeep our technology either. We will let every payment services provider (PSP) be able to use parts of our tech from the first day, for free. Do you see the prospect of mergers and acquisitions of digital wallet companies? There are around 28 digital wallets in Nepal currently. So with high competition, the survival rate is very low. I do see prospects of mergers and acquisitions as this can not only help to lower competition, but I believe wallets can benefit from it for instance, if one wallet lacks in technical aspects but has a great user interface, merging with another company with the strong technical team but the poor user interface will be beneficial as they can take advantage of the skills and develop one strong wallet. But our long-term goal is to take NCash to an IPO instead of being bought out by another company. How do you see the scope of the field of digital finance from a career development point of view? I think there’s a lot of opportunity in the field of digital finance as it is vast and rapidly evolving. In digital finance itself there are many career opportunities such as in fintech there are opportunities for crypto, lending platform, and mobile payments. There are prospects for data analytics so they can provide insights on how to improve the customer experience while managing risks, which brings me to cybersecurity and regulatory compliance related to digital finance. So, there are many career opportunities in digital finance itself. Alongside the opportunities in this field, I believe this is an amazing field for self-development as well. Because with advancements in technology, individuals are constantly learning and improving their skills which also allows for the diversification of skills such as programming, designing, data analysis, cybersecurity, and risk management. This diversification allows individuals to have career flexibility as well as the ability to adapt to this evolving industry. It allows you entrepreneur opportunities as well if you have an idea, you can code it and start your own venture. An example in this regard is the audio streaming and media services provider Spotify. Although it’s not related to digital finance, the way Spotify was developed and the journey to where it is right now is inspiring. So, I believe that digital finance is amazing for career and self-development.

Suraj Milind Yengde is a Harvard University scholar, Dalit rights activist, and the author of ‘Caste Matters.’ He was named as one of the ‘25 Most Influential Young Indian’ by GQ magazine and the ‘Most Influential Young Dalit’ by Zee. Anushka Nepal from ApEx caught up with Yengde during his recent  Nepal visit. This is your second visit to Nepal, and you’re here for work. Could you tell us a little about what you’ve been working on? We are actually in the process of starting a ‘Bahujan Library.’ It’s an online digital library, which will be a resource guide for anybody who is interested to study or do research on caste. For instance, let’s say someone has written a piece about caste. Now for curative purposes if you don’t have institutional support that will just not be available. So you want to make sure some of these works that are known and unknown remain accessible. That’s one aim. Our second aim is to invite authors that write or want to write about caste. We want to create a space where everything they write will be archived. And we want to archive these writings even if they are from different languages. So, if you think about it, it’s also a translation that we’re working on. So this is a long term project. Of course, we have been facing some copyright issues but we are trying to make sure that everything gets documented. And there is no particular country we are focusing on. The writings can be from any part of the world. From your perspective as an activist, what impression do you have of Nepal and its communities in terms of caste and ethnicity? Actually, I still need to visit the Terai region of Nepal where the maximum concentration of Dalit community is. Right now, all I have seen in Kathmandu and its nearby areas. So I think I’m not in the position to make a proper assessment since there are still a lot of places I haven’t been to. But from what I have seen so far, it has made a remarkable impression on me. It has really humbled me because I was not aware of the great history of an anti-caste resistance that dates back to the 19th century. During my visit in 2019, I had come to see what was happening in Nepal. The kind of affection, respect and love that Nepali Dalits gave me was truly heart touching. I kept that in my heart for so long and I couldn’t resist the urge to visit Nepal when I was in India. In fact, I make sure to at least make a brief stop over to Nepal whenever I am back in India. In my second trip, I can now see that there is a certain kind of resistance within the Dalit community to not be tokenized. They are not compromising with just some charity and donations by some organizations. They are proud people and they don’t want to compromise on anything. Yet at the same time, they are beautiful at heart. That’s what’s interesting about the Nepali Dalit community. You have achieved a lot in life. You are a Harvard scholar and also a Dalit rights activist. What pushed you to achieve that? As a Dalit, if you’re aware of your caste, then you have a certain form of resistance. It doesn’t matter where you grow up. You want to resist in your own way. You don’t have to march down the street and fight. Resistance can happen in your own personal and private ways. I had the same resistance. And you also grow up with a lot of responsibilities. Some of us at least. We take on the responsibilities of carrying the struggle of our ancestors. We have a goal that is beyond us, which is thinking about the community, people, and we are not tribal in nature. You as a child are brought up with the pure innocence of treating everyone equally, but for the people from the dominant caste, their parents don’t teach them equality. They teach them about inequality since their childhood. They mentor them on what caste is and what so and so caste means. So as a Dalit, you are undergoing the repeated trauma of being subjugated to unwarranted sightings, dissings, people mocking you, and you don't know why. And at last, you come to a realization that it’s your caste. For me, it was the realization of how I can use my place and position and whatever limited power I had to make a change. That’s how the movement towards making a difference came to me. And education became a key vehicle. With education, there was awareness. With awareness, there was a purpose. And when education, awareness and purpose are met with energy, you can make great changes. That’s how it began. A lot of people, especially from the minor communities, look up to you and to reach where you are. What’s your advice to them? You never set out to be something great. You’re not the child of King Mahendra who will be the next in the line of becoming the king. You are a normal person. So your stories are also normal. They’re ordinary. But in that ordinary story, you are an extraordinary person. I never sought out to become what I have become now. There was nothing when it came to institutional support that would give me an extra opportunity. But if you’re a person from a marginalized community, you have to be the pioneer. You have to go into the dark caves to find the meaning and purpose. There’s nobody who’s going to light the path for you. If there is somebody, that’s good. You should appreciate them. But the struggle is such that when you do something, people might laugh at you, mock you, they might call you a mad person. How can you think of going to Harvard University when you have been living and selling newspapers on the street, and staying in one room next to a gutter lane? These were the things that I grew up with. But I decided to go into that dark chamber. Because I didn’t know what was there. So, for the youngsters, from my stories at least, and the things I did, I was never prepared to do it. But I did it. I know this might not be the success I intended to have, but I was willing to risk it all. I was willing to risk my ego and the disrespect people would give me. For instance, the first time I gave a public speech was when I was in university. My professor had given a hint that I wasn’t up for the task, and told me I should stick with something I’m good at. And yet, what I did was, just for the sake of doing it, I asked my university to nominate me in a national debate competition. I don’t know how that worked out, but I got nominated. And you see, I was probably the most embarrassing participant the national debate competition had ever seen. But I did it anyway. I participated in the second year too, and at that time I had a team and friends I made during the last competition. I was a little better, but still not good enough. The third time I participated, I became the national debate champion. What I am trying to say is, you need to risk it all to do things that seem unreachable. You have to risk your ego, possibility of making mistakes, being disrespected and judged, but at the end of the day, you learn something and that’s going to remain with you. What do you want the readers to perceive from your book ‘Caste Matters’?  The book’s first launch was in Nepal. So Nepal, in that sense, has a unique relation with ‘Caste Matters.’ The book was written as a scholarly project. But then my publisher told me that if I want to reach scholars as well as the general readers, I need to make arrangements for my text. So I did it. I did it at the cost of risking my career because in academia, if you don’t write in a certain way they don’t give you jobs. And I am someone who is still trying to get a faculty job. But the purpose was different for me. I wanted to make an impact, and be someone who could be a spokesperson of those people whose issues and narrative was absent. That’s how the books were out. The book has multiple chapters. Each chapter tries to build on the previous one, but can also be read independently. And this is a book about caste and not just about Dalits. And that’s why the perspective can be taken holistically. It’s not a one dimensional perspective that you’ll get. That’s why I have looked at every aspect of caste critically. There’s a lot of philosophical reflection. This book, if it is read with the attention of philosophical details that it has offered, then the reader will enjoy what I’m trying to say.