Kathmandu, Nov. 28 -- Information and technology-related startups make up the largest share of applicants seeking subsidised loans under the government's programme to groom new ventures, with officials reporting an unprecedented surge in interest this year.

The Industrial Enterprise Development Institute (IEDI) received 10,244 applications for subsidised start-up loans by the final deadline of November 26. The call for proposals was issued on November 5, and 8,203 of the applications were submitted .

"In the past two years, nearly 45 percent of proposals were for agriculture-related startups. This year, however, most applications are from IT startups, including those developing mobile applications," said Umesh Kumar Gupta, executive dir...