Aarthik Abhiyan, Nepal's pioneer business-political weekly, has become a national business daily. Finance Minister Surendra Pandey launched the Aarthik Abhiyan daily in the capital on September 3.

Addressing a symposium titled "Business Journalism and Private Sector Growth", specially organised to mark the launch of the daily, Minister Pandey congratulated the Aarthik Abhiyan team for converting it into a business daily. He said the new business newspaper’s entry into the market indicated the shift in the Nepali society. “Newspapers are opinion builders. So they must be positive,” said Minister Pandey.

Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank, Dr Yuvaraj Khatiwada highlighted the importance of business media and economic governance for the development of a country. “There is a triangular conflict among the government, the private sector and the media. Unless the private sector grows, the collection of tax revenue by the government and advertisement srevenue by the media will be low,” said Dr Khatiwada.

Keynote speaker of the symposium, Dr Sanjaya Baru, Editor of Business Standard, India, said that the readership and circulation of business newspapers increase when more people invest in the capital market and stocks. “It is the emergence of a business class, a new investor class that has created the platform for the business media to grow,” Baru said. Stating that an open market was a must for a nation to grow, Baru said a country’s economic power shapes its political relevance in today’s world.

Commenting on Dr Baru’s opinion, entrepreneur and CA member Padma Jyoti underscored the media’s role in industrialisation, international trade and the overall development of a nation. He said the role of business journalism was that of a sentinel, to keep order in marketplace.

President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Kush Kumar Joshi welcomed the re-launch of Aarthik Abhiyan as a business daily. “Every morning we see political problems on the front pages of all newspapers. We expect news reports which can help increase new investments in the country,” he said, adding that it would be pleasing to see news on the establishment of new industries, generation of employment and other positive stories on the front page.

Madan Lamsal, Chairperson of New Business Age Pvt Ltd - the publisher of Aarthik Abhiyan and New Business Age (Nubiz) magazine, said both the publications of New Business Age Pvt Ltd would follow the principle of ‘private sector first’ in every economic agenda of the country. “Our journalism will continue to promote entrepreneurship, safeguard investments and enhance the dignity of private sector investors in general,” said Lamsal. He also thanked the readers, advertisers and well-wishers of Aarthik Abhiyan.

Similarly, Director of New Business Age Pvt Ltd, Keshav Gautam said that the re-launch of Aarthik Abhiyan as a business daily was a response to the change in the market need. “When we launched Nubiz a decade ago, the market for business news was supply-driven. Now it’s a demand-driven one,” said Gautam.

Editor of Aarthik Abhiyan, Achyut Wagle said the Aarthik Abhiyan team will strive towards taking the business journalism in Nepal to anew height. “Harek Drishti, Aarthik Kon (economic perspectives from every angle) will be the guiding philosophy of Aarthik Abhiyan,"said Wagle.

The programme was attended by prominent entrepreneurs and businesspersons, executives of banks and financial institutions, journalists, diplomats, economists, policy makers and high-ranking government employees.

New Business Age magazine is being published since 2001 while its sister publication Aarthik Abhiyan is in publication since 2005.