Made in Nepal: Government Backs Homegrown Yatri P2 Electric Scooter

Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle has assured government support for promoting Yatri P2, a locally designed and manufactured electric scooter developed by Sipradi Yatri at its factory in Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu. During a visit to the factory, Wagle praised the efforts of Nepali engineers and designers, describing the development of an electric two-wheeler entirely designed and manufactured in Nepal as a significant milestone. He encouraged the company to maintain world-class quality and expand beyond the domestic market, saying the government is ready to provide necessary support. Wagle also urged the company to think globally, drawing a comparison with Apple’s model of designing products in the United States while manufacturing them overseas, while encouraging Yatri to carry out as much of its production and value creation as possible within Nepal. He expressed hope that Yatri P2 would compete with established international brands and eventually find its way onto roads around the world. During the visit, Yatri founder and CEO Asim Pandey briefed the minister on the scooter’s design, safety testing, components and successful trials. Sipradi Trading CEO Rajan Babu Shrestha said the company had achieved a historic milestone by designing and manufacturing the electric scooter in Nepal, including features he described as highly advanced and distinctive. The scooter has reportedly undergone successful testing in Nepal’s challenging hilly and mountainous terrain and is expected to be officially launched for consumers soon. Company officials have also claimed that Yatri P2 is the world’s first two-wheeler electric scooter to be manufactured with a DC charger. Shrestha urged the government to introduce supportive policies, including concessions on raw materials used in electric batteries and scooter components, to help Nepali products compete in the market. Yatri P2 is being developed under the partnership between Yatri Motorcycles, founded by Pandey in 2017 after completing engineering studies in the Netherlands, and Sipradi Trading. The company says the scooter has been developed through local design and engineering and subjected to quality testing by an Indian two-wheeler testing authority.