Kathmandu, Sept. 6 -- When the 2015 earthquake struck Nepal, and again during the Covid-19 pandemic, guitarist Bobby Lama of the band Mongolian Heart joined rescue and relief efforts, carrying cash to affected communities himself. The hassle of taking money to a bank meant he never considered donating to government relief funds.

This time, after devastating floods struck Nepal, Lama simply scanned a QR code and transferred money to the Prime Minister's Disaster Relief Fund through mobile banking.

He initially donated Rs5,000. After consulting his bandmates, he contributed another Rs150,000 through Siddhartha Bank. "We have a European tour coming up. After we return, we plan to contribute more through the QR system," Lama said. "Scanning...