Himalayan Bank
Himalayan Bank is a publicly listed Nepalese commercial bank offering deposits, multi-currency lending, trade finance, and cards across six international networks to retail, SME, and corporate clients through 64+ branches, 92+ ATMs, and 3000+ POS terminals nationwide.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersKathmandu, Nepal
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Himalayan Bank does
Himalayan Bank Limited (HBL) is a publicly listed Nepalese commercial bank founded in 1993 and headquartered in Kamaladi, Kathmandu. It operates 64+ branches across Nepal, a Representative Office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (since February 2015), 92+ ATMs, and 3000+ POS terminals, claiming the largest market share in Nepal's acquiring card business. The bank serves retail consumers, SMEs, and corporate clients with a full suite of deposit products (multiple savings variants, fixed deposits, recurring deposits, specialty accounts), loan products (home, auto, education, personal, SME, corporate, trade finance, working capital), and card services across six international networks — Visa, MasterCard, American Express, JCB, UnionPay, and Discover.
The bank's technology stack centers on HBL HIMAL@NET internet banking, the HI-MB mobile application (iOS/Android), HimalRemit for international money transfers, SMS and Viber alert services, and integrations with national payment rails ConnectIPS and NCHL Corporate Pay. HBL pioneered the first ATM in Nepal and Visa card issuance in 1997, building a 30+ year heritage brand. It maintains correspondent banking relationships with Standard Chartered, Bank of India, ICICI, and HDFC for multi-currency settlements and has received Asian Development Bank Trade Finance Program Leading Partner Bank awards in 2016 and 2019.
HBL's revenue model combines interest income (regulated by Nepal Rastra Bank, with an interest rate spread of 2.74% as of June 2026) from its lending book, fee-based income from account services and trade finance, foreign exchange income from remittance and correspondent banking, and commission income from card acquiring and merchant POS services. The bank holds Rs. 9.372 billion in paid-up capital (post-27th AGM bonus issuance), is listed on the Nepal Stock Exchange under ticker HBL, and is led by CEO Ashoke SJB Rana with Chairman Prachanda Bahadur Shrestha. Regulatory oversight includes Basel III quarterly disclosures, SEBON corporate governance reporting, and AML/CFT compliance under Nepal Rastra Bank.
Himalayan Bank firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Himalayan Bank
- Legal name
- Himalayan Bank Limited
- Website
- https://himalayanbank.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Himalayan Bank is a publicly listed Nepalese commercial bank offering deposits, multi-currency lending, trade finance, and cards across six international networks to retail, SME, and corporate clients through 64+ branches, 92+ ATMs, and 3000+ POS terminals nationwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Himalayan Bank industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Retail Banking
- NAICS
- Depository Credit Intermediation (5221), Commercial Banking (52211), Commercial Banking (522110)
- SIC
- State Commercial Banks (6022), National Commercial Banks (6021)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mass-Market Consumer Deposit Banking (Checking/Savings) (FSABAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Branch & In-Person Banking (Teller/ATM Networks) (FSABAAAE), Remittances & Retail FX (Consumer Cross-Border) (FSABAAAK), Remittance & Cross-Border Payment Rails (SWIFT, Local Clearing, RTP Connectivity) (FSAGAKAH)
Keywords
Where Himalayan Bank is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kathmandu
- HQ country
- Nepal
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices3 records
Markets served
Himalayan Bank business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Interest Income: Primary revenue from interest earned on loans including home loans, auto loans, consumer loans, SME loans, corporate loans, and other credit facilities. Interest is calculated on daily balance basis for savings accounts and credited quarterly.
- Fee-based Income: Fees from various banking services including account maintenance, transaction fees, card services, trade finance facilities (letter of credit, bank guarantees), and remittance services.
- Foreign Exchange Income: Revenue from foreign exchange transactions, currency exchange services, and international remittance processing through correspondent banking network.
- Commission Income: Commission from card transactions, merchant services, POS operations, and insurance premium collection services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Interest Rate Spread - varies monthly from 2.74% to 5.33% |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels4 records
Himalayan Bank product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Himalayan Bank Limited is a commercial bank providing personal and corporate deposit accounts (savings, fixed deposits, current accounts), a full range of consumer and corporate loan products (home, auto, education, SME, corporate, trade finance, working capital), debit/credit/prepaid card services across multiple international brands (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, JCB, UnionPay, Discover), and digital banking channels including HBL HIMAL@NET internet banking, HI-MB mobile banking, and HimalRemit international remittance. The bank distributes these services through 64+ branches, 92+ ATMs, 3,000+ POS terminals, and a correspondent banking network spanning ten countries.
Product overview
Himalayan Bank offers a comprehensive banking platform with both traditional banking products and digital services. The core offering consists of personal and business deposit accounts, loan products spanning consumer lending to corporate financing, and card services including debit, credit, and prepaid cards. The digital banking portfolio includes HBL Internet Banking (HIMAL@NET), Hi-MB mobile banking application, HimalRemit international transfer service, SMS/Viber alert systems, and merchant/E-commerce payment services. The bank operates an extensive ATM and branch network throughout Nepal, with digital services enabling fund transfers, bill payments, and ConnectIPS integration.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- HimalRemit: Premium online customer focused and technology oriented Money Transfer product for international remittances
Products and services
- Personal Savings Accounts Multiple savings account variants for individual retail customers with tiered features and minimum balance requirements for everyday banking, savings accumulation, and family financial management.
- Business Deposit Accounts Business banking deposit accounts designed for entities (including non-profits) needing current, call, payroll, and fixed deposit products for working capital, payroll, and corporate treasury operations.
- Fixed Deposit Accounts Term deposit products with various maturity periods offered to individuals and businesses for capital preservation and interest returns.
- Consumer/Personal Loan Personal loan products for individual customers to finance personal expenses, offering EMI-based repayment and accessible disbursement.
- Home Loan Home loan financing for purchase, construction, or renovation of residential property for individual retail customers.
- Auto Loan (Private and Commercial Vehicle) Vehicle financing covering both private passenger vehicles for retail customers and commercial vehicles for business use.
- Education Loan Financing product for higher education expenses for students and their families, repayable over extended tenors.
- Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Loan SME financing product supporting small and medium enterprises with credit facilities for working capital and business growth.
- Corporate Loans (Funded and Non-Funded) Comprehensive corporate loan facilities for large businesses including project/consortium financing, working capital, overdraft, demand loans, revolving/non-revolving cash credit, import and export credit, term loans, and bank guarantees.
- Trade Finance Facilities Non-funded trade facilities including Letters of Credit, Bank Guarantees, pre-export financing, bills purchase, and documentary bills discounting for import/export transactions and international trade settlement.
- Deprived Sector and Subsidized Loans Priority sector and subsidized lending products for deprived sectors and targeted beneficiary groups, offered per Nepal Rastra Bank directed lending requirements.
- Secured Loans Against Collateral Collateral-backed loans including loan against fixed deposit receipts, government and bank bonds, first class bank guarantees, shares, and mortgage-backed personal loans.
- HBL Debit Cards Debit card products in Visa, MasterCard, SCT, and UnionPay brands for domestic and international purchase transactions and ATM cash withdrawals by account holders.
- HBL Credit Cards Credit cards across Visa, MasterCard, and American Express brands in domestic and international variants for retail and corporate cardholders, with cash back promotions of up to 10% online and 5% at POS.
- HBL Prepaid Cards Prepaid card options in Visa Domestic/International and UnionPay International variants for customers without traditional bank accounts, tourist travelers, and gift card use cases.
- EMI Facility Equated Monthly Installment facility enabling credit card holders to convert purchases or outstanding balances into structured monthly installment repayment plans.
- Point of Sale (POS) Merchant Services Merchant POS terminals with multi-card brand acceptance (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, JCB, UnionPay, Discover, Diners Club) for retail and business merchants across Nepal.
- HBL Internet Banking (HIMAL@NET) Web-based internet banking platform providing account enquiry, fund transfer, utility bill payment, and self-registration features with doubled security protection.
- Hi-MB Mobile Banking Application Native mobile banking app on iOS and Android providing account enquiry, transaction notifications, fund transfers, utility bill payments, and cheque management features for retail customers.
- HimalRemit International Money Transfer Online international money transfer product for receiving remittances from abroad into Nepalese bank accounts through the bank's correspondent banking network.
- SMS and Viber Alert Services Real-time transaction alert services delivered via SMS and Viber messaging for debit/credit transactions, cash deposits, cheque withdrawals, and remittance credits.
- Safe Deposit Locker Service Secure safe deposit locker facilities offered at bank branches for retail customers to store valuables, documents, and jewellery.
- E-Commerce Payment Services Online payment processing services enabling e-commerce merchants to accept card-based payments from HBL cardholders and other network-affiliated cards.
Quantifiable outcome
- First ATM introduction in Nepal banking history
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Himalayan Bank
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Himalayan Bank technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature4 records
Himalayan Bank partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and strategic.
- Discover Global NetworkcoreHBL started accepting Discover, Diners Club International and network alliance cards under Discover Global Network. Enables merchants to access over $500 billion annually in global spend opportunity and 280 million+ global cardholders. All POS terminals at hotels, restaurants, retail stores at tourist attractions (Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan, Lumbini) now accept these cards.
- China UnionPaycoreHimalayan Bank issues and acquires China UnionPay cards. Currently issuing UnionPay cards in USD currency with plans to issue in CNY currency to facilitate Nepalese tourists and businessmen visiting China. Growing number of Chinese tourists has increased UnionPay card usage in Nepal.
- American ExpresscoreHimalayan Bank is an authorized issuer of American Express cards in Nepal, offering Amex Credit Card services to customers.
- VisacoreHBL has been a pioneer in Visa card issuance since 1997 AD. Offers Visa Debit, Visa Credit, and Visa Prepaid cards with cash back promotions of up to 10% on online shopping and 5% at POS terminals.
- MasterCardcoreHBL offers MasterCard debit and credit cards for domestic and international transactions.
- QS Remit (South Korea)minorAgreement between HimalRemit and QS Remit for international money transfer services from South Korea to Nepal.
- People's Bank of China (Tibet Autonomous Region)strategicDelegation from People's Bank of China met with HBL CEO to discuss growing business between Nepal and China and future prospects in card transactions.
- Standard Chartered BankstrategicCorrespondent banking relationship in multiple countries: Germany (Frankfurt), India, Japan (Tokyo), Singapore, UK (London), USA, Bangladesh, Nepal. For EUR, INR, JPY, SGD, AUD, GBP, USD currencies.
- Bank of IndiastrategicCorrespondent banking relationship for INR transactions (Mumbai). Nostro account for Indian Rupee settlements.
- ICICI Bank LimitedstrategicCorrespondent banking relationship for INR transactions (Mumbai, India). Supports RTGS transfers.
- HDFC Bank LimitedstrategicCorrespondent banking relationship for INR transactions (Mumbai, India). Supports RTGS transfers.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Himalayan Bank competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Standard Chartered Bank Nepal: A subsidiary of the international Standard Chartered Group operating in Nepal, offering commercial and institutional banking services with global correspondent capabilities—a broader incumbent competitor to HBL with international backing rather than domestic scale.
Direct peers
- Nepal SBI Bank Limited: A Nepalese commercial bank established as a joint venture with India's State Bank of India, offering deposits, loans, remittances, and digital banking with international correspondent reach—comparable to HBL's correspondent banking-led trade finance model.
- Nabil Bank Limited: Nabil Bank is one of Nepal's largest and most established commercial banks, offering a similar full suite of retail deposits, corporate loans, trade finance, and digital banking services to Nepalese retail and corporate customers—making it the closest direct peer to HBL in scale and product mix.
- Citizens Bank International Limited: A Nepalese commercial bank with a similar nationwide branch footprint, deposit products, loan portfolio (retail, SME, corporate), and digital channels—making it a direct tier-comparable competitor to HBL in Nepal's commercial banking market.
- NIC Asia Bank Limited: A mid-tier Nepalese commercial bank serving retail, SME, and corporate customers with savings, loans, digital banking, and trade finance—directly competitive with HBL in branch-based and digital retail banking within Nepal.
- Prime Commercial Bank Limited: A Nepalese commercial bank offering deposits, consumer and corporate loans, digital banking channels, and card services comparable to HBL—competing for similar retail and SME customer segments across Nepal's branch network.
- NMB Bank Nepal: A full-service Nepalese commercial bank offering comparable retail, SME, and corporate banking services including trade finance and digital channels—competing directly with HBL for the same customer pool in Nepal.
- Everest Bank Limited: A Nepalese commercial bank with comparable deposit, loan, remittance, trade finance, and digital banking services—competing with HBL for retail and corporate customers across a similar tier and geographic footprint in Nepal.
- Nepal Investment Mega Bank Limited: Formed from the merger of Nepal Investment Bank and Mega Bank, NIMB is a tier-1 Nepalese commercial bank with comparable multi-channel banking, branch network, trade finance, and remittance offerings—directly competing with HBL across retail and corporate segments in Nepal.
- Machhapuchchhre Bank Limited: A Nepalese commercial bank with similar nationwide branch network, retail deposit and loan products, and digital services—directly competing with HBL in the mid-tier commercial banking segment in Nepal.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Himalayan Bank social profiles
Digital presenceHimalayan Bank compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Himalayan Bank financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Himalayan Bank leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Himalayan Bank funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Himalayan Bank M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Himalayan Bank
What does Himalayan Bank do?
Himalayan Bank Limited is a commercial bank providing personal and corporate deposit accounts (savings, fixed deposits, current accounts), a full range of consumer and corporate loan products (home, auto, education, SME, corporate, trade finance, working capital), debit/credit/prepaid card services across multiple international brands (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, JCB, UnionPay, Discover), and digital banking channels including HBL HIMAL@NET internet banking, HI-MB mobile banking, and HimalRemit international remittance. The bank distributes these services through 64+ branches, 92+ ATMs, 3,000+ POS terminals, and a correspondent banking network spanning ten countries.
Is Himalayan Bank a public or private company?
Himalayan Bank is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Himalayan Bank founded?
Himalayan Bank was founded in 1993. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Himalayan Bank based?
Himalayan Bank is headquartered in Kathmandu, Nepal, in the Asia region.
How does Himalayan Bank make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Interest Income is the primary driver. The others are fee-based Income, foreign Exchange Income and commission Income.
Who are Himalayan Bank's main competitors?
Standard Chartered Bank Nepal is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Nepal SBI Bank Limited, Nabil Bank Limited, Citizens Bank International Limited, NIC Asia Bank Limited, Prime Commercial Bank Limited, NMB Bank Nepal, Everest Bank Limited, Nepal Investment Mega Bank Limited and Machhapuchchhre Bank Limited.
Does Himalayan Bank have an API?
No public API is recorded for Himalayan Bank.
What industry is Himalayan Bank in?
Himalayan Bank's product category is Retail Banking. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSABAAAA, Mass-Market Consumer Deposit Banking (Checking/Savings), with a secondary code of FSABAAAE, Branch & In-Person Banking (Teller/ATM Networks). Its NAICS code is 5221 and its SIC code is 6022.