Who Owns Nepal’s Banks? Major Shareholders and Ownership of Nepali Commercial Banks

The banking industry in Nepal is vital to the national economy. Each of the 20 operational commercial banks is supported by a combination of institutional, individual, and foreign investors. Knowing who owns the majority of these banks provides information about the general stability, control, and trustworthiness of Nepal’s financial sector.

Official shareholding filings for the fiscal year 2081 (2024–25) show that a number of prominent corporate groups, business families, and institutional investors still possess sizeable holdings in a number of banks. Based on the most recent information available from each commercial bank’s annual and quarterly reports, this study identifies the principal owners of each bank in Nepal.


Major Shareholder of Nabil Bank

Who Owns Nepal’s Banks? Major Shareholders and Ownership of Nepali Commercial Banks

Nabil Bank’s largest shareholder is NB (International) Ireland, holding 39.44% of shares. Other major investors include IFIC Bank PLC (Bangladesh) and Rastriya Beema Company. The Chaudhary family, represented by Nirvana and Varun Chaudhary, also holds notable ownership.

SNShareholder NameNo. of SharesOwnership (%)
1NB (International) Ireland10,670,64239.44%
2IFIC Bank PLC (Bangladesh)2,101,7267.77%
3Rastriya Beema Company2,063,6987.63%
4Nirvana Kumar Chaudhary189,7450.70%
5Varun Chaudhary180,9850.67%

Major Shareholder of Global IME Bank

Who Owns Nepal’s Banks? Major Shareholders and Ownership of Nepali Commercial Banks

Global IME Bank has 18 major shareholders, including both individuals and institutions. The largest shareholder is the Employees Provident Fund (Karmachari Sanchaya Kosh) with a 4.74% stake. The list also includes IME Holdings, IME Investment, and well-known investors like Sumit Kumar Agrawal and Bishnu Prasad Neupane. Recently, Mangal Kalash Investment Pvt. Ltd. and Dambar Bahadur Malla exited, while Gauri Shrestha joined as a new major shareholder.

SNShareholder NameNo. of SharesOwnership (%)
1Employees Provident Fund (Karmachari Sanchaya Kosh)17,141,2514.74%
2IME Holdings Pvt. Ltd.10,138,2272.78%
3IME Investment Pvt. Ltd.9,056,0752.51%
4Sumit Kumar Agrawal6,581,4881.82%
5Bishnu Prasad Neupane
6Continental Investment Pvt. Ltd.4,163,5341.15%
7Uttam Kumar Nepal3,362,9740.93%
8Citizen Investment Trust (Nagarik Lagani Kosh)3,318,6480.92%
9Ran Bahadur Shah2,832,1870.78%
10Nimish Investment Pvt. Ltd.2,682,3210.74%
11Homeland Developers2,627,8390.74%
12Hemraj Dhakal2,426,3470.67%
13Cabinet Shrestha2,295,5690.64%
14Kamdhenu Investment2,241,9580.62%
15Gauri Shrestha2,058,9320.57%
16Rita Malla2,017,8170.56%
17Sharda Devi1,897,6810.53%
18Sandeep Agrawal1,871,7680.52%

Major Shareholder of NIC Asia Bank

Who Owns Nepal’s Banks? Major Shareholders and Ownership of Nepali Commercial Banks

NIC Asia Bank has 25 major shareholders. The largest investor is Ashok Kumar Agrawal with 6.12% ownership, followed by Trilok Chand Agrawal and members of the Sanghai and Golchha business families. Institutional investors like Nepal Life Insurance Company and Prudential Capital Management are also part of the list, reflecting a mix of strong business families and financial institutions.

SNShareholder NameOwnership (%)
1Ashok Kumar Agrawal6.12%
2Trilok Chand Agrawal5.34%
3Ram Chandra Sanghai4.41%
4Subhash Chandra Sanghai4.37%
5Lokmanya Golchha3.10%
6Anuj Agrawal2.86%
7Jayashree Golchha2.74%
8Jagdish Prasad Agrawal2.53%
9Birendra Kumar Sanghai2.01%
10Tulsiram Agrawal1.78%
11Manju Agrawal1.78%
12Sanchit Agrawal1.78%
13Nikunj Agrawal1.76%
14Govinda Lal Sanghai1.61%
15Nepal Life Insurance Company1.10%
16Basudev Golyani0.98%
17Usha Agrawal0.96%
18Nirmal Kumar Agrawal0.91%
19Kavita Sanghai0.85%
20Arpit Agrawal0.77%
21Prudential Capital Management0.70%
22Shakti Kumar Golyani0.62%
23Ananta Kumar Golyani0.61%
24Vishal Agrawal0.54%

Major Shareholder of Prabhu Bank

Who Owns Nepal’s Banks? Major Shareholders and Ownership of Nepali Commercial Banks

Prabhu Bank has 13 major shareholders. The largest shareholder is Asian Life Insurance Company, holding 4.99% of total shares. Other significant investors include Gaurav Agrawal, Employees Provident Fund, and Prabhu Group. The list also includes individual investors like Sudip Acharya and Ambika Sharma Lamichhane.

SNShareholder NameNo. of SharesOwnership (%)
1Asian Life Insurance Company1,759,0284.99%
2Gaurav Agrawal637,2122.71%
3Employees Provident Fund595,8272.53%
4Prabhu Group235,4000.99%
5Mizas Bhattachan189,6320.80%
6Sudip Acharya142,9230.60%
7Ambika Sharma Lamichhane140,5330.60%
8Janu Shrestha136,4140.58%
9Rajendra Bhattachan135,4860.57%
10Swarup Gurung133,4920.57%
11Nepal Investment Pvt. Ltd.122,3600.52%
12Shivam Cement119,8000.51%
13Sun Nepal Life Insurance118,8720.50%

Major Shareholder of NMB Bank

Who Owns Nepal’s Banks? Major Shareholders and Ownership of Nepali Commercial Banks

NMB Bank Limited has 16 major shareholders, including international investors. The largest shareholder is FMO Netherlands, holding 13.69% of total shares, making it a key foreign stakeholder in the Nepali banking sector. Institutional investors like the Employees’ Provident Fund and Yong Lian Realty (Malaysia) also hold notable stakes.

SNShareholder NameNo. of SharesOwnership (%)
1FMO Netherlands25,147,14213.69%
2Employees’ Provident Fund10,150,7295.53%
3Yong Lian Realty SDN BHD, Malaysia7,742,2704.22%
4Gayatri Investment and Management Pvt. Ltd.3,351,6021.82%
5Nand Kishore Rathi3,093,3201.68%
6Dhananjay Prasad Acharya2,806,1611.53%
7Sunil Kumar Goshali1,901,9871.04%
8Sushil Kumar Goshali1,750,3160.95%
9Pawan Kumar Golyan1,696,7320.92%
10Yogendra Lal Pradhan1,674,1010.91%
11Santosh Devi Murarka1,459,2220.79%
12Purushottam Lal Sanghai1,295,4920.71%
13Pashupati Murarka1,072,2630.58%
14Santosh Rathi1,058,6970.58%
15Dinbandhu Agrawal972,5740.53%
16Balram Neupane954,8940.52%

Major Shareholder of Nepal Investment Mega Bank

Who Owns Nepal’s Banks? Major Shareholders and Ownership of Nepali Commercial Banks

Nepal Investment Mega Bank has 15 major institutional shareholders. The largest among them is the Rastriya Beema Company, holding 6.73% ownership. Other large investors include Mahalaxmi Investment Pvt. Ltd., Chhaya Center, and KUP Investment. Several smaller firms like Sophia Investment and Citizen Investment Trust (Nagarik Lagani Kosh) also hold notable shares.

SNShareholder NameOwnership (%)
1Rastriya Beema Company6.73%
2Mahalaxmi Investment Pvt. Ltd.3.96%
3Chhaya Center3.68%
4KUP Investment3.51%
5Sophia Investment3.33%
6Citizen Investment Trust (Nagarik Lagani Kosh)1.32%
7Annapurna Investment0.74%
8Surya Infosys0.74%
9Prestine Investment0.74%
10Kamala Investment0.74%
11Noble Investment0.70%
12Lotus Investment0.65%
13Rastriya Beema Sansthan0.64%
14Merchantile Investment0.57%
15CIT Citizen Unit Scheme0.65%

Major Shareholder of Kumari Bank

Who Owns Nepal’s Banks? Major Shareholders and Ownership of Nepali Commercial Banks

Kumari Bank has 22 major shareholders, combining individual and institutional investors. The Employees Provident Fund holds the largest stake at 3.19%. Other key investors include Amir Pratap Rana, Citizen Investment Trust, and Bhatbhateni Supermarket. The list also features several prominent businesspeople and companies.

SNShareholder NameOwnership (%)
1Employees Provident Fund3.19%
2Amir Pratap Rana2.02%
3Citizen Investment Trust1.71%
4Bhatbhateni Supermarket and Department Store1.47%
5Januki Kumari Rana Shahi1.30%
6Savitri Gurung1.20%
7Himalayan Life Insurance Company1.19%
8Birendra Kumar Shah0.98%
9Sangrila Investment Pvt. Ltd.0.95%
10Sumit Kumar Agrawal0.95%
11NB Group (Nepal)0.74%
12Pashupati Murarka0.69%
13Jaganath Gyawali0.68%
14Min Bahadur Gurung0.60%
15Om Prasad Sharma0.60%
16Narayan Prasad Shrestha0.59%
17Bodh Prasad Tripathi0.59%
18Gauri Shrestha0.58%
19Pradeep Kumar Murarka0.57%
20Ram Prasad Shrestha0.55%
21Anupam Rathi0.55%
22Nabin Agrawal0.53%

Major Shareholder of Everest Bank

Who Owns Nepal’s Banks? Major Shareholders and Ownership of Nepali Commercial Banks

Everest Bank has seven major shareholders, including India’s Punjab National Bank, which holds the largest share at 20.03%. Other key shareholders are from the Shrestha family, who collectively own a significant portion of the bank. The general public holds about 40.83% of the shares.

SNShareholder NameNo. of SharesOwnership (%)
1Punjab National Bank (India)23,565,12020.03%
2Pratima Shrestha17,386,72214.77%
3Late Bishnu Krishna Shrestha10,803,6629.18%
4Hotel Snow Lion10,949,7699.31%
5Ravi Krishna Shrestha2,213,8381.88%
6Kiran Krishna Shrestha2,213,8381.88%
7Shanta Dev Pathak1,383,8911.18%
8Arun Man Sherchan1,112,1790.95%
9General Public (collectively)43,680,52040.83%

Major Shareholder of Siddhartha Bank

Who Owns Nepal’s Banks? Major Shareholders and Ownership of Nepali Commercial Banks

Siddhartha Bank has 34 major shareholders, a mix of individuals and institutional investors. The top shareholders include Prudential Investment Company, Narendra Kumar Agrawal, and Ratanlal Kedia. Several well-known business families, such as the Kedia, Todi, and Agrawal groups, are part of the list.

SNShareholder NameOwnership (%)
1Prudential Investment Company3.32%
2Narendra Kumar Agrawal2.95%
3Ratanlal Kedia2.48%
4Sabita Kedia1.92%
5Chiranjilal Agrawal1.81%
6Pawan Kumar Agrawal1.76%
7Subodh Todi1.55%
8Narpat Singh Jain1.45%
9Dinanath Kedia1.41%
10Aditya Kedia1.39%
11Mahavir Investment Pvt. Ltd.1.37%
12Tushar Todi1.28%
13Suresh Kumar Rungta1.21%
14Poonam Chand Agrawal0.97%
15Vinod Kumar Agrawal0.94%
16Bharat Kumar Todi0.87%
17Raj Kumar Tibrewala0.81%
18Birendra Kumar Shah1.54%
19Ashok Kumar Baheti1.48%
20Rajesh Kumar Kedia0.78%
21Madan Lal Kedia0.76%
22Keshari Chand Kucheriya0.67%
23Shashi Kala Agrawal0.63%
24Manish Jain0.63%
25Jagdish Kumar Agrawal0.61%
26Shambhu Kumar Kandoi0.59%
27Kabindra Bahadur Shrestha0.59%
28Saroj Sharma0.54%
29Indira Rajbhandari0.50%
30Vinay Kumar Shah Madwari0.55%

Major Shareholder of Prime Commercial Bank

Who Owns Nepal’s Banks? Major Shareholders and Ownership of Nepali Commercial Banks

Prime Commercial Bank has 18 major shareholders, including prominent political figures and business personalities. Among them are former Minister of State and Nepali Congress Treasurer Umesh Shrestha, Member of Parliament Bikram Pandey, and Santosh Narayan Shrestha, Chairperson of SEBON. The largest individual shareholder is Umesh Shrestha, holding 2.46% of the bank’s total shares. Institutional investors such as the Employees’ Provident Fund and Reliable Nepal Life Insurance also have significant ownership.

SNShareholder NameNo. of SharesOwnership (%)
1Umesh Shrestha4,773,1372.46%
2Employees’ Provident Fund3,645,2611.88%
3Binod Chandra Baral2,785,5031.44%
4Reliable Nepal Life Insurance2,047,3341.06%
5Krishna Puri1,996,2481.03%
6Bikram Pandey1,679,9880.87%
7Sushil Mittal1,411,5130.73%
8Sundar Narayan Joshi1,375,3850.71%
9Shailaja Bajracharya1,361,6380.70%
10Narendra Barjacharya1,320,3800.68%
11Manohar Das Mol1,306,6210.67%
12Sweta Maske Shrestha1,296,5720.67%
13Mahesh Raj Karnikar1,088,1800.56%
14Life Insurance Corporation1,084,5370.56%
15Shyam Bahadur Shrestha1,067,7620.55%
16Mahendra Ratna Shakya1,002,3750.52%
17Chiranjivi Deva982,2020.51%
18Santosh Narayan Shrestha (SEBON Chairperson)973,2200.50%

Major Shareholder of Machhapuchhre Bank

Who Owns Nepal’s Banks? Major Shareholders and Ownership of Nepali Commercial Banks

Machhapuchhre Bank has 22 major shareholders. The Employees Provident Fund and Dr. Upendra Mahato are the top two investors, each holding over 9%. Surendra Mahato has significantly reduced his stake from 11.11% to 1.71%. Other shareholders include prominent businesspersons and institutional investors.

SNShareholder NameOwnership (%)
1Employees Provident Fund9.24%
2Dr. Upendra Mahato9.14%
3Prem Kumari KC8.68%
4Ram Ashish Sahu Sudi4.24%
5Dr. Dharma Raj Shrestha2.03%
6Karan Motor Company1.51%
7Roshan KC1.48%
8Kiran KC1.48%
9Prakash KC1.29%
10Ram Janaki Investment & Petroleum Suppliers Pvt. Ltd.0.99%
11Associated Automobiles Pvt. Ltd.0.93%
12Praneshwor Pokharel0.72%
13Former Forest Minister Birendra Mahato0.61%
14Dinesh Lal Shrestha0.51%
15PKR Investment Company Pvt. Ltd.6.07%
16Krishna Gopal Shrestha1.78%
17Ganesh Bahadur Shrestha (Laxmi Group)0.91%
18Shree Himalayan Enterprises Pvt. Ltd.0.77%
19Azad Shrestha0.57%

Major Shareholder of Citizens Bank International

Who Owns Nepal’s Banks? Major Shareholders and Ownership of Nepali Commercial Banks

Citizens Bank International has 22 major shareholders, a mix of individual investors and institutions. The largest shareholder is Citizens Investment Trust (Nagarik Lagani Kosh), with 3.35% ownership. Late Urmila Pandey follows closely with 3.30%, while other notable investors include Bijendra Joshi, Manohar Das Mol, and Digbijay Bisht.

SNShareholder NameOwnership (%)
1Citizens Investment Trust (Nagarik Lagani Kosh)3.35%
2Late Urmila Pandey3.30%
3Bijendra Joshi1.59%
4Manohar Das Mol1.37%
5Digbijay Bisht1.30%
6Tara Bisht1.30%
7Pavitra Kumar Karki1.28%
8Ravindraman Singh Pradhan1.28%
9Savitri Sharma1.18%
10Ramesh Sharma1.02%
11Soni Joshi0.94%
12Arjun Prasad Sharma0.84%
13Jagan Nath Gyawali0.73%
14Dr. Shankar Prasad Sharma0.73%
15Bishnu Prasad Pokharel0.71%
16Sulochan Raj Rajbhandari0.68%
17Narendra Kumar Dev Bhatt0.59%
18Pramila Nepal0.56%
19Ramita Bhattarai0.54%
20Manita Bhattarai0.54%
21Pratap Jung Pandey0.52%
22Rajesh Khadka0.51%

Major Shareholder of Standard Chartered Bank Nepal

Who Owns Nepal’s Banks? Major Shareholders and Ownership of Nepali Commercial Banks

Standard Chartered Bank Nepal has 7 major shareholders, including two large foreign entities. Standard Chartered Grindlays Pvt. Ltd. is the largest with a 46.81% stake, followed by Standard Chartered Bank (UK) holding 23.40%. The remaining shareholders are members of the Agrawal family, each with nearly 0.7% ownership.

SNShareholder NameNo. of SharesOwnership (%)
1Standard Chartered Grindlays Pvt. Ltd.44,136,33846.81%
2Standard Chartered Bank (UK)22,068,16923.40%
3Sashikant Agrawal660,8360.70%
4Priyanka Agrawal660,8360.70%
5Kamala Agrawal660,8360.70%
6Avinash Agrawal660,8360.70%
7Shankarlal Agrawal620,0890.66%

Major Shareholder of Himalayan Bank

Who Owns Nepal’s Banks? Major Shareholders and Ownership of Nepali Commercial Banks
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Himalayan Bank has 16 major shareholders, including strong institutional investors and business groups. Habib Bank (Pakistan) and the Employees’ Provident Fund hold over 25% combined. Major domestic investors include N Trading Company, Mutual Trading Company, and Abha International Pvt. Ltd.

SNShareholder NameOwnership (%)
1Habib Bank (Pakistan)12.93%
2Employees’ Provident Fund12.62%
3N Trading Company8.26%
4Mutual Trading Company7.66%
5Abha International Pvt. Ltd.7.46%
6Chhaya International Pvt. Ltd.5.78%
7Pradeep Jung Pandey1.98%
8Sashikant Agrawal1.71%
9Ishwar Raj Tamang1.36%
10National Life Insurance1.25%
11Asian Investment and Trading Company0.77%
12Rita Malla0.73%
13Prabha Goenka Bhimsariya0.67%
14Bijay International Pvt. Ltd.0.61%
15Anju Khetan0.50%
16Ambika Shah (Exited)0.61%

Major Shareholder of Laxmi Sunrise Bank

Who Owns Nepal’s Banks? Major Shareholders and Ownership of Nepali Commercial Banks

Laxmi Sunrise Bank has 37 major shareholders, making it one of the most diversified ownership structures among Nepali banks. Laxmi Corp Nepal leads with 7.78%, followed by Citizens Investment Trust and members of the Khetan and Dugad business families.

SNShareholder NameOwnership (%)
1Laxmi Corp Nepal7.78%
2Citizens Investment Trust4.65%
3Sarika Khetan4.17%
4Sneha Khetan3.91%
5Motilal Dugad2.77%
6Malchand Dugad2.40%
7Ratan Lal Sanghai2.39%
8Gopi Krishna Sikaria2.35%
9Rajendra Kumar Khetan2.35%
10Himalayan Exim Pvt. Ltd.1.97%
11–37Other individuals and firms0.51%–1.42%

Major Shareholder of Sanima Bank

Who Owns Nepal’s Banks? Major Shareholders and Ownership of Nepali Commercial Banks

Sanima Bank has 14 major shareholders. The top shareholders include Arun Kumar Ojha (7.94%), Tek Raj Niraula (6.39%), and Jivanath Lamichhane (5.44%). Institutional support comes from Sun Nepal Life Insurance and the Employees’ Provident Fund.

SNShareholder NameOwnership (%)
1Arun Kumar Ojha7.94%
2Tek Raj Niraula6.39%
3Jivanath Lamichhane5.44%
4Employees’ Provident Fund4.28%
5Sun Nepal Life Insurance4.50%
6Amala Investment Pvt. Ltd.3.97%
7Khem Raj Lamichhane3.47%
8Ghanshyam Thapa3.46%
9Ram Krishna Shah2.49%
10Sonam Gyatso0.92%
11Dilip Shrestha0.75%
12Shamba Lama0.73%
13Gita Chhetri0.61%

Major Shareholder of Nepal Bank Limited

Who Owns Nepal’s Banks? Major Shareholders and Ownership of Nepali Commercial Banks

Nepal Bank Limited is one of Nepal’s oldest banks, with government ownership as the majority stakeholder. The Government of Nepal holds 51%, followed by the Employees’ Provident Fund and Prabhu Life Insurance.

SNShareholder NameOwnership (%)
1Government of Nepal51%
2Employees’ Provident Fund3.64%
3Prabhu Life Insurance0.96%

Major Shareholder of Agricultural Development Bank (ADBL)

Who Owns Nepal’s Banks? Major Shareholders and Ownership of Nepali Commercial Banks

The Government of Nepal holds the majority stake in ADBL with 51% ownership, making it a state-controlled bank. Other shareholders include prominent individuals from the banking and business sector.

SNShareholder NameOwnership (%)
1Government of Nepal51%
2Krishna Gopal Shrestha1.39%
3Laxmi Shrestha0.99%

Major Shareholder of Nepal SBI Bank

Who Owns Nepal’s Banks? Major Shareholders and Ownership of Nepali Commercial Banks

Nepal SBI Bank has 10 major shareholders, including its Indian parent organization, State Bank of India, along with major Nepali institutions like the Employees’ Provident Fund and Nepal Life Insurance.

SNShareholder Name
1State Bank of India
2Employees’ Provident Fund
3Himalayan Life Insurance
4Rojen Karmacharya
5Rajendra Kumar Khetan
6Babin Shrestha
7Prabhu Select Fund
8Nepal Life Insurance
9Bal Krishna Shrestha
10Krishna Gopal Shrestha

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