Nepal SBI Bank, established in July 1993 as the first Indo-Nepal joint venture, has emerged as a transformative force in the country’s banking sector through a focus on digital integration and customer-centric innovation. With the State Bank of India holding a 55 percent stake, and the remainder shared between Nepal’s Employee Provident Fund and the general public, the bank has built a trusted reputation among over 1.3 million deposit customers. Its expansive presence across 51 districts is supported by a suite of services including internet and mobile banking, SMS banking, and QR merchant acquiring. Nepal SBI Bank has introduced pioneering initiatives, notably becoming the first financial institution in Nepal to enable RuPay card acceptance at ATMs and POS terminals, supporting digitalisation and boosting tourism. Its flagship mobile application, YONO Nepal SBI, offers a seamless omni-channel banking experience integrating services such as investment, insurance, e-commerce, and interfaces. The platform stands out for its security infrastructure, encompassing encryption, device integrity checks, and authentication validation. These features, combined with digital account opening, cardless withdrawal, and spend analysis tools, have positioned the bank at the forefront of technological adoption in Nepalese banking. Strategic collaborations with international banks and domestic financial institutions further enhance its offerings in trade finance and remittance. The bank’s investment in human capital, infrastructure, and automation underscores its commitment to sustainable progress. CFI.co Judging Panel congratulates Nepal SBI Bank on winning the 2025 award for Champion in Modern Banking Innovation (Nepal).