Sabai Sadhai Sangai: A Promise 17 Years in the Making

Every day in Nepal, when shops open their shutters, buses fill with commuters and students prepare for classes, millions of transactions keep life moving. A bill is paid in seconds. A small business receives a digital payment. Remittance reaches home from miles away. These simple actions, repeated countless of times, reflect a journey shaped not just by technology, but by people; people using digital payments. And somewhere in these moments, eSewa has been quietly doing its part.

For 17 years, eSewa has quietly been part of everyday life, helping people move money, save time, and stay connected. The story is best understood through one promise: सबै. सधैँ. सँगै. Everyone. Always. Together. More than a tagline, it is the meaning behind the milestones, the long nights, the small wins, and the trust built over time.

Where It Began: Solving a Simple Problem

When eSewa launched in 2009, Nepal’s digital financial landscape was still taking its first steps. Cash dominated everyday life, and paying a bill often meant grabbing a token and standing in line. 

Back then, the platform served a small but growing group of users who believed in convenience and change. A year later, the launch of eSewa’s mobile application brought convenience closer to more people. Payments were no longer tied to computers or physical locations. They could happen anywhere, anytime. For most of us, this was the beginning of a change. A bus ticket booked without standing in line. A utility bill paid from home. These were not headline moments, but they made everyday life that little bit easier.

Reaching the Last Mile: People Before Platforms

Not everyone in Nepal had a smartphone. Internet access was uneven. But the need to send money, pay bills, and support families was universal. So in 2012, eSewa started building an agent network to bring services closer to the people that did not have direct access to them.

Agents became bridges between digital systems and communities. In remote villages and busy marketplaces, these individuals helped people send money, pay bills, and begin trusting digital transactions. Many agents recall first-time users arriving with hesitation and leaving with relief, surprised by how simple it felt.

This was the spirit of सबै (Everyone) taking shape in practice. Students, seniors, merchants, migrant families, and daily wage workers all found a place in the growing ecosystem.

Trust That Grows

Payments involve trust, and trust is earned slowly. In 2017, eSewa received its official license as a Payment Service Provider from Nepal Rastra Bank. This milestone was not just about getting regulatory approval. It was validation of years of work, systems that were built carefully, and promises were kept quietly.

For end-users, it meant reassurance. For merchants, it meant confidence to accept digital payments. For partners, it meant a growing ecosystem. This sense of सधैँ - always available, always dependable, became central to the brand.

Growth Reflected in Daily Life

By 2021, eSewa reached 5 million app downloads. And by 2024, the platform crossed 10 million customers, supported by a network of 252,000 agents and 425,000 merchants across Nepal. These sound like big numbers, but they’re only a part of the story.

Behind each number is a human moment. A small business owner tracking daily sales digitally. A family receiving money from abroad. A school fee paid.

Growth was not only about expansion but about shared progress.

Together From Within

eSewa’s journey has been shaped as much by its people as by its technology. Behind every successful transaction are engineers ensuring systems run smoothly, customer support teams resolving concerns, field staff reaching new communities, and partners working hand in hand to expand access.

Across years of growth, this shared effort has shown itself in unseen moments. Late nights spent fixing issues, long journeys taken to support agents in distant locations, and the quiet satisfaction of knowing that everyday work is making life easier for millions.

All of these experiences point to a simple truth. Meaningful progress is never achieved alone. It is built side by side, through shared responsibility and trust. This is the true meaning of सँगै (Together).

Sabai Sadhai Sangai: Looking Ahead With Purpose

Today, सबै. सधैँ. सँगै. defines eSewa’s purpose and direction. It is a commitment to inclusion, reliability, and shared growth. It means continuing to serve students, seniors, merchants, agents, and communities across Nepal. It means being present not just in moments of ease, but also in times of uncertainty. It means building financial systems that bring more people into the mainstream economy.

Seventeen years on, eSewa’s story is still being written. It is being written by everyday actions, quiet trust, and shared progress. And as Nepal moves forward, eSewa moves with it, for everyone, always, together.