Security Printing Center Progress: Nine Thousand Licenses Printed in Two Months

9th January 2026, Kathmandu

Security Printing Center Progress has become a focal point of national interest as Nepal addresses its chronic backlog of smart driving licenses. Located in Panauti Municipality-5, the Security Printing Center (SPC) has successfully printed 8,983 QR-code-enabled driving licenses since it commenced operations on Kartik 21, 2082. This initiative was launched to provide a sustainable solution to the printing crisis that worsened after the Department of Transport Management (DoTM) mass printers were damaged during the Gen Z protests. With the formal button-pressing ceremony led by Jagdish Kharel, the Minister for Communication and Information Technology, the center has officially entered its operational phase, offering a glimmer of hope to millions of waiting applicants.

Security Printing Center Progress

According to the latest data from the Department of Transport Management, the collaboration between the department and the center is structured to clear a massive backlog. While the initial two-month output of nearly nine thousand cards might seem modest, officials have clarified that this was a testing and calibration period. Out of the printed batch, approximately seven thousand licenses have already been distributed to the respective applicants, primarily focusing on those with urgent requirements for foreign travel or official documentation.

Security Printing Center Progress Under Six-Month Agreement

The partnership between the DoTM and the Security Printing Center is governed by an agreement signed on Kartik 12, 2082. Under this contract, the Panauti-based facility is mandated to deliver 1.2 million smart driving licenses within a six-month timeframe. IT Director of the Department, Keshav Khatiwada, confirmed that the department has already provided the necessary data for these 1.2 million cards. Currently, the national backlog of unprinted licenses stands at a staggering 3 million, including both new trial-passers and renewal applicants.

To tackle this massive queue, the center is preparing to shift from low-volume testing to high-speed mass production. Executive Director of the SPC, Devraj Dhungana, stated that the initial phase was slow because it involved rigorous lab testing within Nepal to ensure the quality and security of the printed material. After the successful verification of the first 520 units, the center is now ready to scale. Starting from the month of Magh, the center plans to deploy additional technical manpower and increase production speed to 10,000 smart licenses per day.

Technical Specifications and Enhanced Security Features

The licenses printed at the Security Printing Center represent a technological shift from previous versions. Instead of the traditional electronic chips, which often suffered from supply chain issues and reader compatibility problems, the new cards utilize advanced QR-code technology. These cards are designed with a six-layer security protocol and incorporate 34 distinct security features, some of which are visible to the naked eye while others are hidden for forensic verification.

This high level of security ensures that the licenses are tamper-proof and easily verifiable by traffic authorities using simple digital scanners. The use of QR codes instead of chips also makes the production process more cost-effective and less dependent on specific foreign manufacturers. The transition to this technology is a key part of the government’s strategy to make the driving license system more resilient and locally manageable.

Economic Impact and Future Vision for the Center

The full activation of the Security Printing Center is expected to save the Nepali treasury approximately 10 billion rupees annually. Currently, Nepal spends significant foreign currency to print secure documents like excise stickers, postage stamps, citizenship certificates, and passports in foreign countries. The SPC is not limited to driving licenses; it has already begun testing the high-security digital machines brought from Iraq to print excise stickers. These machines have the capacity to produce 600 million stickers per year.

Advertisement

The government has developed a 15-year master plan for the center divided into three phases:

Phase 1 (5 Years): Achieving total national self-sufficiency in secure printing.

Phase 2 (10 Years): Exporting secure printing services to SAARC and Southeast Asian nations.

Phase 3 (15 Years): Establishing the center as a global provider of high-quality secure documents for third countries.

Infrastructure and Manpower Requirements

The Security Printing Center is situated on 257 ropanis of land in the former IT Park. The facility includes two large commercial and administrative buildings, four residential buildings, and several warehouses. To reach its full operational capacity, the center will require nearly 1,000 staff members, including 200 high-level technical experts. By repurposing the underutilized IT Park, the government has created a high-tech hub that is poised to become the backbone of Nepal’s digital and secure infrastructure.

As the center ramps up its daily production to 10,000 cards in the coming weeks, the 3 million citizens waiting for their smart licenses can finally expect a definitive end to their wait. The progress made in Panauti is not just about a piece of plastic; it is about reclaiming national sovereignty over secure documentation and building a digital Nepal.

For More: Security Printing Center Progress