Last updated: July 2026 (Shrawan 2083) — based on the Department of Industry’s official notice as reported by Techpana. Service lists and dates follow the Department’s notices; verify on doind.gov.np before applying.
Another queue in Kathmandu just died: the Department of Industry (उद्योग विभाग) is taking most of its services fully online — and from Monday, Shrawan 18, it will stop accepting physical applications and documents for the listed services entirely. Industry registration, renewals, capital increases, even foreign-investment approvals and business-visa recommendations now run through one portal: IMIS, the Industrial Management Information System. Here’s exactly what moved online, who it affects, and how to be ready before the counter closes.
What the Department Announced
- Per an official notice, from Monday (Shrawan 18), physical application and document submission closes for the services below.
- Those services become available exclusively online through IMIS (औद्योगिक व्यवस्थापन सूचना प्रणाली) — no paper fallback.
- Services not yet in the online system are being migrated “as soon as possible,” per the Department.
- For anything still requiring physical presence: only the establishment’s operator, staff, or an officially designated representative will be served — with official ID. The era of anonymous middlemen at the counter is being closed deliberately.
The Services Going Online-Only
For Nepali-investment industries
| Service | Note |
|---|---|
| New industry registration permission | For industries with fixed capital above Rs 25 crore (Nepali investment) |
| Unit industry registration (इकाई उद्योग दर्ता) | Fully online |
| Industry relocation (स्थानान्तरण) | Fully online |
| Capital & capacity increase | Fully online |
| Records update, term extension & renewal (नवीकरण) | Fully online |
| Share structure & shareholder changes | Fully online |
For foreign-investment (FDI) industries
- Investment approval processes
- Business visa recommendations — the document every foreign investor’s visa file depends on
- Investment repatriation (लगानी फिर्ता)
- Technology transfer approvals
Compliance & facilitation services
- Raw-material consumption norms determination
- Annual progress report submission — the yearly obligation every registered industry carries
- Exemptions, facilities and concession recommendations
- CSR (corporate social responsibility)-related services
Who Needs to Act, and How
| You Are | What This Means |
|---|---|
| Industry owner with a renewal/म्याद थप due | Get IMIS access sorted before your deadline — the paper route is gone |
| Foreign investor / FDI company | Visa recommendations and approvals now flow online — factor portal processing into visa timelines |
| CA / company secretary / consultant filing for clients | Your workflow moves to IMIS credentials and digital documents; physical proxy-filing ends |
| Planning a large new industry (Rs 25 crore+) | Registration permission applications: online from day one |
| Existing industry with annual progress reports | Submit via IMIS — build the habit before penalties find you |
Get IMIS-Ready: The Checklist
- Locate the portal: IMIS is accessed via the Department of Industry’s official channels (doind.gov.np) — bookmark the official link, not search-ad lookalikes.
- Set up credentials early: register your establishment’s account before a deadline forces you to learn the system in a panic.
- Digitize the file: registration certificates, PAN, shareholder documents, audited statements — clean scans, sensible file names, within upload limits.
- Match your records: details in IMIS must mirror your company records — mismatches that a sympathetic counter clerk once waved through will now bounce digitally. (Name/detail inconsistencies? Fix source documents first.)
- Designate your representative formally for any remaining physical steps — with official ID, per the notice.
The Bigger Pattern (You’ve Seen This Before)
This is the same wave we’ve been tracking all month: Supreme Court orders online same-day, bank accounts via the Nagarik App, and an umbrella technology law in drafting. Nepal’s agencies are not just adding online options anymore — they’re removing the paper option. For businesses, digital readiness has quietly shifted from advantage to requirement; the full landscape is in our online government services guide.
Honest Expectations
- Transition friction is likely: new portals meet real-world load on day one — apply well before deadlines, keep submission receipts/screenshots, and retry off-peak if the system crawls.
- Not everything is online yet: the Department says remaining services will migrate “as soon as possible” — check the current notice for your specific service before traveling.
- Digital doesn’t mean instant: processing timelines are still human on the other side; what dies is the queue, not the review.
FAQ
When does the Department of Industry stop taking physical applications?
From Monday, Shrawan 18, 2083 — for the listed services, applications and documents are accepted only through the IMIS online system.
What is IMIS?
The Industrial Management Information System (औद्योगिक व्यवस्थापन सूचना प्रणाली) — the Department of Industry’s online platform for registration, renewal, FDI processes and compliance filings.
Does this apply to small businesses and firms?
This notice covers Department of Industry services — large-capital industry registration, industry-level renewals and FDI matters. Small firm/company registration runs through other agencies (OCR etc.), though the online-only direction is clearly universal.
Can my consultant still file for me?
Online, yes — with your establishment’s IMIS access. For remaining physical services, only formally designated representatives with official ID will be served, per the notice.
What about business visa recommendations for foreign investors?
Now processed fully online through IMIS — build portal processing time into visa planning, and keep digital copies of every recommendation issued.
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Disclaimer: Digital Solution Nepal is an independent educational website, not a government body. Service lists, dates and portal details follow the Department of Industry’s official notices — doind.gov.np is final.
Rabin Paudel
Rabin Paudel is the Founder of Digital Solution, a Content Creator, and an AI Trainer. He shares practical and easy-to-understand content on Artificial Intelligence, Digital Literacy, Online Services, FinTech, and Technology. His mission is to make technology simple, accessible, and useful for everyone.
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