Uber, one of the world’s largest ride-sharing platforms, has launched services in Nepal, beginning operations in the Kathmandu Valley on Wednesday.

Users can now select both bike and car ride options through the Uber app.

“The service has informally gone live from today, while the official launch will take place on June 1,” said Ashok Dhamala of Book Cab Now, which describes itself as Uber’s third-party vendor partner in Nepal. “Around 1,000 drivers across Nepal have already joined the Uber platform.”

Uber began informing users about its expansion into Nepal via emails that read: “Hello Nepal, your Uber has arrived!”

Users downloading the Uber app and opening accounts from Nepal have been receiving official emails stating that the service has launched in Kathmandu.

An email received by Kantipur from Uber’s official domain included an image of a car running with Kathmandu’s historic Boudhanath Stupa in the background.

“Getting around is now easier,” the email said. “Whether you’re heading to work, meeting friends or going out, a ride will be available for you within minutes.”

The email also listed Uber’s international headquarters in the Netherlands.

Amid growing discussion over Uber’s arrival in Nepal, Kantipur had earlier reported on social media advertisements and driver registration campaigns operating under Uber’s name.

Following that report, Book Cab Now claimed the advertisements were official. Dhamala, associated with Eco Incorporation Group Pvt. Ltd., said his company had been in contact with Uber for the past four years.

He said Uber is currently in a “technology testing” phase in Nepal.

“We have already onboarded around 1,000 drivers into Uber’s system,” he said. “The early onboarding aims to test Uber’s technological compatibility in the Nepali market.”

According to Dhamala, drivers are being registered through Uber’s official driver app.

“Interested drivers first need to download Uber’s official driver app and register themselves,” he said. “After registration, they need to provide the mobile number used in the app to our team. Once we receive the number, we verify that the driver is Nepali. After we enter the details from here, drivers receive an official link directly from Uber and are integrated into the system.”

Dhamala also said Sambit Panigrahi is Uber’s representative overseeing Nepal-related operations from India.

Kantipur repeatedly emailed Panigrahi and Uber’s media division seeking clarification, but received no response.

Meanwhile, multiple social media pages claiming to represent Uber have been running sponsored advertisements seeking driving licence details and vehicle number plates from prospective drivers. Some have also launched websites to intensify the campaign.

A website operating under the name “UberNepal.co” has been collecting personal information from users.

Dhamala claimed that social media pages such as “Uber Nepal-Book Cab” and “Uber Onrider” are official and said agreements had already been signed.

After Kantipur’s earlier report, a Facebook page named “Uber Nepal” was briefly deactivated before reappearing under the name “Nepal Uber Onboarding Hub”.

“There may be multiple Uber vendors in Nepal. We do not know who else has agreements,” Dhamala said. “We signed a non-disclosure agreement with Uber in April.”

Although Dhamala insisted that the advertisements circulating on social media were official, questions have emerged due to the silence of both the government agencies of Nepal and Uber itself.

The Department of Industry of Nepal said no formal application for foreign investment or company registration under Uber’s name has yet been received.

That has raised concerns over transparency and data security surrounding the advertisements.

The registration pages and portals are collecting drivers’ names, phone numbers and vehicle registration details.

After Kantipur sought clarification regarding the social media advertisements related to driver registration, the “Uber Nepal” page was temporarily deactivated.

According to Dhamala, the phone numbers and onboarding procedures for driver registration used in the Facebook campaigns had been approved by Uber’s international team.

“The numbers used for onboarding, and the designs appearing on Facebook were approved by Uber’s international team,” he said.

Dhamala added that Uber had been advised to complete all legal documentation and registration procedures before moving forward, taking into account challenges previously faced by other ride-hailing companies operating in Nepal.

He said Eco Incorporation Group is primarily involved in the tourism sector and handles ground operations in Nepal for international companies such as Booking.com.