Supreme Court rejects Idemia's challenge to Nepal's passport printing contract

On Monday, the Supreme Court of Nepal ruled against Idemia, which had sought to overturn the government's decision to grant the passport-printing contract to Germany's Veridos. The division bench, comprising Justices Kumar Regmi and Shrikanta Poudel, dismissed four writ petitions that Idemia filed after being excluded from the tender. In a distinct filing, advocate Kusum Kishor Koirala received a directive order related to the continuation of printing at the Security Printing Centre.

The verdict, whose full text is pending release, affirms Veridos' role in producing Nepali passports. Idemia, a supplier for about 15 years, had named numerous government bodies and officials, including Tirtha Raj Aryal, as defendants in its August 2025 petition. The court's decision provides relief to Veridos and maintains one outlet printing arrangement.