Aawaaj News & Research

What Aawaaj News & Research does

Aawaaj News & Research operates as an independent digital media and research organization headquartered in Lalitpur, Nepal, registered as Nepali Aawaaj Media Private Limited. Founded in November 2017 by Pankaj Thapa, the organization focuses exclusively on social and political issues in Nepal, with editorial coverage spanning WASH (water, sanitation, hygiene), LGBTQ+ rights, menstrual health, democracy, and marginalized communities. Its core products include a news portal (Aawaaj News), a dedicated research wing launched in 2023 (Aawaaj Research), and video documentaries distributed via YouTube (Aawaaj Videos). The organization also runs Aawaaj X Collaborations, a content partnership format with external organizations on themed series.

The business model is advertising-based, with free access to all content for readers, supplemented by internally funded research activities. The organization has demonstrated capacity to secure NGO partnerships for issue-specific campaigns, notably the #TalkToilet campaign with WaterAid Nepal. Operating with approximately 8 employees, Aawaaj serves the Nepali-speaking public, with a notable emphasis on youth audiences and marginalized communities; indirect stakeholders include NGOs, advocacy groups, researchers, and policymakers engaged on social issues in Nepal. Geographic reporting extends beyond Kathmandu to multiple districts including Siraha, Chitwan, Bardiya, and Banke, indicating grassroots field presence despite limited staff.

Name

Aawaaj News & Research

Legal name

Nepali Aawaaj Media Private Limited

Website

https://aawaajnews.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Aawaaj News & Research is an independent Nepali digital media and research organization, founded in 2017, producing news, research, and video documentaries focused on social and political issues including WASH, LGBTQ+ rights, menstrual health, and democracy for Nepali readers and marginalized communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Digital News and Research Media

NAICS

Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations (MPAJADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Alternative/Independent Newsweeklies & Opinion Press (MPAJADAH), Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE)

Keywords

• Independent journalism
• Digital news publishing
• Social research
• Policy analysis
• Documentary media

Headquarters

HQ city

Lalitpur

HQ country

Nepal

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Media content distribution: Aawaaj News & Research operates as an independent news portal generating content on social and political issues. The organization does not explicitly disclose revenue streams but states research activities are internally funded unless explicitly stated otherwise.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Aawaaj News & Research operates an independent digital news portal and a dedicated research wing focused exclusively on Nepal's social and political issues. It produces news articles, investigations, opinion pieces, video documentaries, and evidence-based research covering topics such as WASH, LGBTQ+ rights, democracy, climate change, mental health, and marginalized communities. Content is distributed freely through its website, YouTube channel, and social media platforms to thousands of daily readers and viewers, especially youth.

Product overview

Aawaaj News & Research is an independent news and research organization from Nepal operating as a unified platform consisting of two main offerings: Aawaaj News (the core news portal) and Aawaaj Research (the dedicated research wing). The platform focuses exclusively on social and political issues in Nepal, advocating for inclusive societies and responsible journalism. Additionally, Aawaaj produces video reports and documentaries distributed through its YouTube channel. The organization does not operate as a technology product or SaaS platform with integrations or APIs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aawaaj Research: A dedicated research wing focused on examining Nepal's social and political life through evidence-based inquiry, investigating inequality, marginality, and structural exclusion.

Products and services

• Aawaaj News
• Aawaaj Research
• Aawaaj Videos

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WaterAid NepalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2020Collaboration on the #TalkToilet campaign aimed at raising awareness about public toilet sanitation in Nepal. The campaign began its first phase in March 2020 and included extensive research about the status of public toilets within Kathmandu Valley and along Nepal's highways, focusing on ensuring inclusive sanitation.
• Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAO provides technical support for agricultural projects as part of Tuki Association's community development work that Aawaaj News covers.
• FORUT (Norway)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorwegian organization working with Tuki Association since 2008 in the sectors of sanitation, education, and healthcare for women and young girls – areas covered by Aawaaj News reporting.
• Queer Youth Group (QYG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLGBTQI+ youth organization that organizes Nepal Pride Parade. Aawaaj News provides extensive coverage of LGBTQ+ issues and rights, supporting visibility and advocacy efforts.
• Queer Rights Collective (QRC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInformal affiliation of queer people in Nepal that works as a support group. Aawaaj News covers their activities and advocacy work on LGBTQ+ rights.
• Campaign For ChangeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst and only intersex-led organization in Nepal working for intersex rights. Aawaaj News covers their advocacy efforts and the broader LGBTQ+ movement.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Nepali Times: Nepali Times is one of Nepal's most established independent English-language news outlets, covering politics, society, and current affairs. It is a direct peer of Aawaaj News because both target informed Nepali readers with independent journalism on social and political issues, distributed digitally.
• Setopati: Setopati is a leading Nepali digital news outlet covering politics, social issues, and current affairs. It is a direct peer to Aawaaj News because both compete for the same digitally-engaged Nepali readership with socio-political content.
• Martin Chautari: Martin Chautari is a Kathmandu-based research center producing evidence-based research on Nepali politics, society, and policy. It is a direct peer to Aawaaj Research because both conduct rigorous, policy-relevant social science research on Nepal, though Aawaaj couples this with media production.
• Onlinekhabar: Onlinekhabar is one of Nepal's most-visited Nepali-language digital news portals, covering politics, society, and current affairs. It is a direct peer to Aawaaj News because both operate as digital-first news portals targeting Nepali readers with political and social coverage.
• Himalkhabar: Himalkhabar is a Nepali digital news platform covering politics, society, and current affairs. It is a direct peer to Aawaaj News given overlap in digital news distribution, audience (Nepal-based news readers), and editorial focus on socio-political topics.

Broad incumbents

• The Kathmandu Post: The Kathmandu Post is Nepal's largest English-language daily newspaper with a broad newsroom covering politics, business, and society. It is a broad incumbent peer to Aawaaj: both cover Nepali socio-political news, but Kathmandu Post operates at significantly greater scale and breadth.
• BBC Nepali Service: BBC Nepali is the BBC's Nepali-language news service covering politics, society, and current affairs in Nepal. It is a broad incumbent peer to Aawaaj as a much larger international outlet covering the same Nepali socio-political beat.

Emerging players

• The Wire: The Wire is an independent, nonprofit-funded digital news outlet in India covering politics, human rights, and marginalized communities. It is an emerging player peer to Aawaaj as a South Asian independent media platform with a similar mission of representing marginalized voices and investigative journalism.
• Nepal Institute for Policy Research (NIPoRe): NIPoRe is a Nepali think tank producing policy-oriented research on governance, economy, and social issues. It is an emerging player peer to Aawaaj Research because both target researchers, policymakers, and civil society with evidence-based analysis on Nepal's socio-political realities.

Others

• WaterAid Nepal: WaterAid Nepal is an international NGO working on WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) in Nepal. It is an ecosystem partner — not a competitor — but explicitly collaborates with Aawaaj on the #TalkToilet campaign and WASH content, making it a directly relevant comparable for understanding Aawaaj's collaborative advocacy model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aawaajnews
• YouTubeyoutube.com/aawaajnews
• Facebookfacebook.com/aawaajnews
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aawaaj-news
• Instagraminstagram.com/aawaajnews

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aawaaj News & Research