I recently bought a counterfeit Marshall Willen Bluetooth speaker for just $10 equivalent. To my surprise, its sound quality wasn’t all that disappointing—definitely acceptable for the price I paid. But what impressed me more was its design: the size, form factor, and aesthetics were nearly identical to the original Marshall product.
Unless you physically handle it or have a trained eye, it would be difficult to tell it’s a knockoff. For anyone who wants to listen to music, podcasts, or audiobooks on a budget, this kind of device is more than enough.
That small purchase sparked a wave of nostalgia in me and took me back to my school days.
When I was in primary school, only one or two houses in our neighborhood owned a television. TVs were luxury items back then—big, boxy, and expensive. Our family had a Hitachi 20-inch color TV, and that alone gave us a certain status in the community. On Saturday afternoons, when Nepal Television aired a Bollywood movie, or midweek during the Mahabharat series, our living room would be packed to the brim with neighbors, sitting wherever they could find space. The TV turned our home into a local theater.
VCRs were another story. They were even more expensive, and owning one was a dream for most families. We didn’t own one either—we rented a VCR deck for special occasions and festivals. At that time, there were no Chinese products in the Nepali market. We had no choice but to buy high-end brands like Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba, Hitachi, Sharp, or Samsung. These premium electronics were built to last, but they were out of reach for many.
Then came the revolution.
When I reached high school, the market was suddenly flooded with affordable Chinese VCD players and TV sets. Compared to VHS, VCDs offered better picture quality, and more importantly, the players were budget-friendly. For the first time, most households could afford to bring home an audio-visual setup. These Chinese gadgets, often criticized for their low build quality, actually played a pivotal role in democratizing technology across Nepal. They made media consumption more accessible than ever before.
Fast forward to the present: we are living in a mobile-first world. But this digital transformation would have never been possible if not for the availability of low-cost smartphones. Flagship phones from Apple, Samsung, and similar brands are still beyond the reach of the average Nepali. In fact, many of their accessories cost more than a basic smartphone a majority of people can afford. But it’s these budget phones—often Chinese or unbranded—that have narrowed the digital divide in the country. Without them, internet penetration would have remained limited and technology adoption would have lagged.
The same is true for many other technologies. If we hadn’t had access to inexpensive Kchibo radios back then, we wouldn’t have seen the FM radio boom in Nepal. The same pattern applies to personal computers and their accessories, video game consoles, air conditioners, washing machines, and even electric vehicles today. Affordable alternatives have always paved the way for mass adoption.
Eventually, as incomes rise, people may upgrade to better quality and more expensive devices. But their journey into the digital world almost always begins with affordable, and sometimes even counterfeit, products. Nepal’s digital growth owes a lot to the accessibility of low-cost electronics.
In a country where a significant portion of the population has limited disposable income, these products have done far more than fill a market gap. They’ve opened doors to the digital world—connecting people, fostering access to information, and creating new opportunities for learning and entertainment.
We often overlook or dismiss counterfeit and budget electronics as inferior or problematic. But in reality, they’ve served as the foundation for digital inclusion in Nepal. They’ve made technology less intimidating and more accessible for everyday people.
Nepal’s digital boom didn’t begin with premium brands. It began with the courage to try something cheap, to explore a world once out of reach. And for that, even a $10 fake speaker deserves some credit.