The Spark Behind Kitab Yatra: Inspiring Nepali Entrepreneur Story
Do you dream of doing business or being an entrepreneur, but think your idea is too small? If you’re afraid of it, you must hear this story of a boy who believes in his idea, inspired by his father’s habit of reading books. And you need to know that sometimes, the biggest ideas are born from a few moments and sweet memories, which bring joy to life. This is the story of Rishi Ram Adhikari, the founder of “Kitab Yatra,” Nepal’s biggest online bookselling platform. Kitab Yatra was founded on the inspiration of Mr.Adhikari’s memories of his father, who spent considerable time reading books like the Ramayan and the Mahabharat. While most families were concerned only with curriculum textbooks, his father’s passion for literature quietly yet permanently affected all those around him.
Many years later, while studying in Delhi for his CA, Rishi could not ignore his increasingly contagious passion for books. There was inspiration from his father, who would read for pleasure, and a need to do something significant that led Rishi to imagine a business that would take knowledge to people’s doorsteps.
This vision saw the actualization of Kitab Yatra, a platform that goes beyond book delivery to promote Nepali literature and reading, and became the biggest online bookselling platform. A sustainable book business that focuses on shared purpose, contemplation, and family legacy was born from a small idea.
Rishi’s journey is more than just a business story; it’s a true Nepali youth success story and an inspiring Nepali entrepreneur story where dreams, purpose, and culture unite to promote Nepali literature globally.
Inspiring Nepali Entrepreneur Story
From Idea to Impact
What if buying your favorite book was just a message away, wherever you are in Nepal? Rishi Ram Adhikari brought that idea to life with Kitab Yatra.
While living in Delhi and juggling journalism and CA studies, Rishi noticed how hard it was to buy books. Inspired by platforms like Amazon and Flipkart, he thought, “Why not create something similar in Nepal?“
Before returning to Nepal, he posted online on bookaholics, offering to bring books to anyone who needed them. That single post received a great response from fellow book lovers.
Before officially starting the service, Rishi bought a book worth Rs. 27,500and thoroughly researched the delivery time, the cost involved, and which publications could be included. After a detailed budget analysis and planning, Kitab Yatra was officially launched in 2017.
This Inspiring Nepali entrepreneur’s story reflects how a simple idea, rooted in love for reading and service to the homeland, can turn into a meaningful startup that connects thousands of readers across the country.
The initial struggle of Kitab Yatra
Before Kitab Yatra was officially registered, it began as a pilot project inspired by the idea from global platforms like Amazon and Flipkart.
Founder Rishi Ram Adhikari and his team started a small gathering of book requests through the bookaholics group and brought books from India. They delivered books across Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Lalitpur using a friend and his brother’s bike.
Back in the day, it was not easy. Finding the actual delivery address was very hard. Customers would get upset by the many annoying calls, so eventually, the team learned how to gather lots of detailed address information and make just one call once the delivery was at the customer’s door for a hassle-free experience.
Despite the adversities, their first deliveries brought unexpected joy. They were given tips, received praise, and even cooked food. Once, a retired army officer tipped Rs. 300 along with words of encouragement, which became the motivation to go further.
These little wins became motivating factors. And that is how Kitab Yatra converted a simple idea into an expanding movement, one book, one door at a time.
In 2018, when nobody imagined that books could be celebrated as a festival, Rishi Ram Adhikari and his team brought the concept of Kitab Jatra to life. His vision included more than selling books; he wanted a space to nurture Nepali literature, culture, and socializing.
The small book exhibition has now become a grand celebration of fine arts, calligraphy, painting, and local cuisine, with strong youth engagement around IT, startups, empowerment, entrepreneurship, economics, and tourism through literature.
Rishi’s journey is an inspiring Nepali entrepreneur story, a bold example of choosing a purpose-driven life and building a sustainable Nepali book business that honors passion and heritage.
Kitab Jatra continues to grow as a platform that celebrates reading, culture, and creativity in Nepal.
Inspiring Nepali Entrepreneur Story
From Local Roots to Global Impact
What if a simple book event could bridge continents, preserve culture, and connect generations?
That’s exactly what Kitab Jatra is doing: stepping onto the international stage. The mission is clear: to promote the Nepali language, writer, literature, books, and culture across borders and help the Nepali diaspora reconnect with their roots. Kitab Yatra connects the emotions of Nepalese people who live abroad with their homeland and through the sense of Nepali literature through various art forms, including literary discussions, cultural dialogues, and Nepali storytelling, geared toward helping them reconnect to their roots.
By promoting and showcasing Nepali literary works internationally, Kitab Jatra creates opportunities for global readers, authors, and distributors to develop new pathways for cultural exchange and growth in the publishing industry and to exchange literary connections beyond borders.
A key part of the vision is ensuring that Nepali children born abroad grow up knowing their language and heritage. Through books, they learn where they come from and why it matters.
At its heart, Kitab Jatra is more than just a book fair. It’s an inspiring Nepali entrepreneur story that celebrates identity, spreads knowledge, and gives Nepali literature a well-deserved place on the global bookshelf.
Leaving CA, Finding Purpose: A Nepali Youth’s Success Story of Kitab Yatra
Rishi Ram Adhikari’s journey is an inspiring Nepali entrepreneur story that proves how resilience and redirection can shape a meaningful life. Starting as a CA student, he also works in journalism, and his mindset helped him stay grounded. One of the quotes that guided him during tough times was “2 kha,” i.e., Khapna (endurance) and Khatna (hard work), which is the motivational quote that every CA and youth needs to apply in their life to become successful. Though he eventually left the CA path, it wasn’t a failure but the beginning of something bigger.
Rishi was determined to follow his heart and establish Kitab Yatra with the desire to develop a platform that would promote Nepali literature, language, and culture in Nepal and across the globe among the diaspora. This aim is to bring awareness to the Nepali community living abroad about their cultural roots, especially among the youth born outside Nepal, and to follow their culture. As a cultural entrepreneur, Rishi has been planning to deliver Nepali books worldwide and is setting up a future roadmap for a self-sustained operation.
In this RST YouTube video, Rishi discusses some realities of entrepreneurship in Nepal and ways of networking, further stressing emotional intelligence, financial literacy, and digital marketing as vital elements of business advancement.
