Kathmandu- Investment commitments for new industries reached a record high in fiscal year (FY) 2082/83, signaling renewed confidence among industrialists after several years of declining commitments.

According to the Department of Industries (DoI), a total of 849 new industries were registered during the fiscal year, attracting investment commitments worth Rs 512.25 billion—the highest annual commitment ever recorded by the department.

The latest figure surpasses the previous record of Rs 339.59 billion recorded in FY 2078/79. In comparison, 700 industries were registered in FY 2081/82 with investment commitments totaling Rs 258.12 billion, indicating significant growth in both the number of registrations and pledged investments.

Among the industries registered in FY 2082/83, 81 were large-scale, 78 medium-scale, and 690 small-scale enterprises.

The energy sector secured the largest share of investment commitments. A total of 27 energy-based industries received commitments amounting to Rs 243.84 billion, accounting for nearly half of the total pledged investment.

The service sector ranked second, with 79 industries attracting Rs 110.88 billion in investment commitments.

The tourism sector also saw strong interest, with 230 industries receiving commitments worth Rs 67.84 billion. Meanwhile, 148 manufacturing industries secured Rs 51.47 billion, and 23 agriculture and forest-based industries attracted Rs 33.64 billion in commitments.

The mineral-based sector recorded investment commitments of Rs 1.21 billion across 14 industries.

In terms of the number of registrations, the information technology (IT) sector topped the list. The department registered 328 IT-based industries during the fiscal year, with total investment commitments of Rs 3.36 billion.

The latest data suggests a notable revival in industrial investment sentiment, with both the volume of new industry registrations and the value of investment commitments rising sharply compared to the previous fiscal year.