Khalti By IME: Nepal’s Largest Digital Wallet Merger Goes Live 17th July 2025
18th July 2025, Kathmandu
Starting from 17th July, IME Pay and Khalti officially commence their joint operations under the name ‘Khalti by IME’. The formal announcement was made at an event held at Yak & Yeti on 17th July, in the presence of the Deputy Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank, marking the operational launch of Nepal’s first-ever digital wallet merger.
Khalti By IME
With almost a decade of serving digital financial services, these two wallets, each with their own identity among users, have now merged into one entity under the new name ‘Khalti by IME’. As the only wallet offering interest rates, IME Pay was known for remittance, inDrive payments, and other services, while Khalti resonated with youth as a movie booking, event ticketing platform, alongside frequent innovations. Coming together as one, it’s believed to enhance Nepal’s digital payment experience with even better features, even simpler & more secure services.
IME Pay, an impactful fintech initiative of the IME Group and Khalti, starting as a startup initiative by 4 entrepreneurs, later joined by established corporations like WorldLink and Triveni Group as strategic investors, is now one as IME Khalti Ltd.
While the merged company is registered as ‘IME Khalti Ltd..’, the app will operate under the name ‘Khalti by IME’.
IME Pay users can now easily migrate to ‘Khalti by IME’ (all wallet balances, interest, reward points, and account details will be transferred to the new app when migrated). Meanwhile, Khalti users can enjoy upgraded features simply by updating the app.
Deputy Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank, Mr. Bam Bahadur Mishra, highlighted the need for digital payments across all sectors, emphasizing transparency as a key benefit. With the expectation of a simpler, secure, and user-friendly platform that’s accessible for all Nepalese, he extended his best wishes for the upcoming days of the joint operation.
Speaking about this historic merger, IME Pay Chairman, Mr. Krishna Prasad Sharma, said :
“The journey of IME Pay has focused on establishing a foundation for inclusiveness in the financial service area. With this union with Khalti, IME Khalti Ltd. is set to create a dynamic momentum to Digital Nepal.”
Mr. Manoj Kumar Agrawal, Chairman of Khalti, added
“This merger marks a defining moment in Nepal’s fintech journey – a union of innovation and legacy. IME Khalti Ltd. is poised to redefine digital financial inclusion for every Nepali.”
At the event, Mr. Binaya Khadka, CEO of IME Khalti Ltd., shared the company’s new vision and mission, emphasizing its commitment to expanding digital accessibility, promoting digital literacy & developing further plans for financial inclusivity with innovative digital financial services and products.
With over 7 million official users of Khalti and more than 5.7 million of IME Pay, the newly merged wallet will have a combined user base of 12.7 million. IME Pay has been awarded the Digital Services ICT Award 2024, the HRM Award for Corporate Excellence in FinTech 2023 & the Excellence in Fintech Partnership Award at the Visa Leadership Conclave Nepal 2023.
Khalti has been recognized with the prestigious WITSA Global Innovation & Tech Excellence Awards 2022, the Highest Digital Transactions Processing Payment Service Provider award for 2023 and 2024 (consecutively by NCHL), and, in 2024, was awarded by Nepal Rastra Bank for its significant contribution to digital transactions in Nepal.
After the merger, ‘Khalti by IME’ has become the largest digital wallet in Nepal in terms of capital base, registered users, and many other parameters. This new beginning is considered a significant milestone for the growth of Nepal’s digital economy.
For more: Khalti By IME
