Kathmandu, March 1 -- Political parties have rolled out ambitious promises to boost Nepal's startup ecosystem ahead of the general election, but young entrepreneurs remain sceptical, citing years of policy delays and weak implementation.

The government had first announced a Rs500 million fund for startups and innovation in the fiscal year 2015-16. However, it took seven years to finalise the working procedure and begin distributing the fund, and the definition of a startup business was only clarified last year.

Nepal's startup ecosystem saw noticeable growth between 2016 and 2019, driven largely by youth-led initiatives in technology, e-commerce and digital services. Yet the sector struggled amid the absence of a clear policy framework,...