Starting a Business in Nepal: The Story of Khelkunja Arena
How I co-founded Khelkunja Arena in Pokhara — a premium futsal and swimming facility — with a 3 CR investment and 11 months of construction.
In 2023, I looked around Pokhara and noticed something missing: a premium, international-level sports facility that the city truly deserved. The demand was there, the people were there — but the standard wasn’t. That gap became the spark for Khelkunja Arena.
Together with my friend and co-founder Bishow Bhakta Adhikari, we decided to build something that would set a new benchmark for sports and recreation in the region. The vision was clear: a world-class futsal and swimming facility that Pokharans could be proud of.
Why Futsal and Swimming?
We were deliberate about our choice of industry. Futsal and swimming facilities are:
- Relatively straightforward to operate once systems are in place
- Low on credit risk — most bookings are paid upfront
- Carefree in day-to-day management compared to many other hospitality or service businesses
In a landscape where many new ventures overextend themselves, we saw this as a space where we could build something excellent without being pulled in a dozen directions at once.
The Investment and Construction Journey
Building Khelkunja wasn’t a small undertaking. We invested nearly 3 Crore Rupees (3 CR), which we arranged through a combination of:
- Personal savings
- Family support
- Business loans
Every rupee had to be carefully planned. Beyond the construction costs themselves, one of my biggest challenges during this phase was budgeting for long-term operations and maintenance — thinking beyond the ribbon-cutting and into the reality of sustaining a facility of this scale year after year.
The construction took 11 months to complete. It was a period of intense planning, problem-solving, and learning — very different from anything I had done before, even with my background in engineering and large-scale project management.
What I Am Most Proud Of
Since opening, my focus has firmly been on management and hospitality. Getting the operations right — ensuring that every customer who walks through our doors feels genuinely well-served — is what I take the most pride in today.
A premium facility means nothing without a premium experience to match it.
My Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs in Nepal
If you are thinking about starting a business in Nepal, here is the most honest advice I can give:
Do one thing at a time. Make it the best it can be. Only then move on to the next project.
It is tempting to diversify early or pursue multiple ideas in parallel. Resist that temptation. Depth before breadth. Excellence before expansion. That discipline is what separates businesses that last from those that flame out quickly.
Khelkunja Arena is proof that with the right focus, the right partner, and the resilience to push through the hard months, you can build something that fills a real gap — and does it with genuine quality.