essage to the youth of nepal

 “national AI + tech strategy ecosystem”  blueprint — infrastructure, talent, funding, policy, and  execution discipline 

मैले यसलाई तपाईंले भनेकै तीन big buckets + execution layer मा तोडेर practical 5-year plan जस्तो बनाएँ:

Nepal AI & Tech 5-Year Strategic Plan (Framework)

1) Technology & Infrastructure (AI foundation layer)

Goal:

“AI consumer” to  “AI builder + niche producer”  not full-scale US/China  but  focused capability)

Year-wise roadmap:

Year 1 – Foundation

• National AI Taskforce (government + private + diaspora)
• National Data Policy (privacy + open data framework)
• Data centers feasibility + public-private model
• Nepali language dataset initiative (text, speech, local dialects)

Year 2 – Build core assets

• First government-supported Nepal Language Corpus
• Cloud + GPU access program (shared compute for startups/universities)
• Pilot AI applications in:
• agriculture (crop prediction)
• health (triage tools)
• education (personalized learning)

Year 3 – Model building

• Start “Nepali LLM initiative” (not single company owned)
• universities + startups + diaspora collaboration
• Open-source Nepali foundation model (small but usable)
• Government services AI integration (chatbots, document automation)

Year 4–5 – Scale

• Export AI services (BPO → AI-enabled services)
• Regional SaaS products (South Asia market focus)
• Private data centers scaling with foreign investment

 Talent Engine critical layer)

“brain drain”  to brain network convertion

Key policy directions:

Education overhaul

• AI, data science, cloud basics from +2 level
• University curriculum industry-linked (not theoretical-only)
• Mandatory internship system with startups/companies

Upskilling system

• National AI Upskill Platform (free + paid tiers)
• Monthly certification programs (Python, ML, AI tools, product building)

Diaspora integration

• “Remote return program” (Nepali experts abroad contribute part-time)
• Tax incentives for returning founders
• Visiting professor + startup mentor pipeline

Startup pipeline

• University incubators in every province
• Hackathon-to-funding pipeline (not just events, actual funding tie-in)

3)Funding, Policy & Investment Layer

Goal:

Make capital flow predictable, not political

Structural reforms:

A. AI & Tech Innovation Fund

• Government + private + donor blended fund
• Transparent grant system (no political selection)
• Stage-based funding:
• Idea → seed → scale → export

B. Tax & regulation policy

• 0–5 year tax holiday for AI startups
• Simplified company registration (<48 hours)
• IP protection law modernization (critical for AI models/data)

C. Foreign investment strategy

• Target:
• India (services + outsourcing)
• China (infrastructure + hardware)
• US/EU (venture + research collaboration)

D. Procurement reform (very important)

• Government must buy local tech first (AI in govt services)
• “Public demand creates private growth”

4) Execution Problem (most important layer you hinted at)

not “policy but , execute ”

Execution safeguards:

• Independent “Tech Delivery Unit” (civil service  semi-autonomous)
• 6-month public KPI reporting
• Cross-party continuity agreement (tech policy not changed every election)
• Anti-corruption digital tracking for funds

5) Strategic Philosophy ( diaspora + optimism point)

diaspora र culture actually key advantage

• Nepal = small population + high cohesion potential
• Diaspora = global extension layer (India, US, EU, Middle East)
• If connected properly → “distributed national brain”

But one correction:

“We are not in a ditch” — but we are in a low-compounding phase economy
meaning growth but not scaled -up system  

“Can Nepal build foundational AI models in Nepali?”

Yes, but not like OpenAI-scale alone.

Best realistic path:

• Open-source + government + diaspora consortium model
• Start small (7B–13B parameter models)
• Focus on:
• Nepali language
• legal/government documents
• education + customer service use cases

Competitive advantage:

• Language niche (undervalued but critical)
• Low competition
• High social impact

If we look at AI tools based on past experience, any government eventually needs to answer: what is the actual plan? What are the policies that will help with this?

If I break it down into three big buckets — technology, talent, and investment — these need to be thought through properly.

For example, if we make a 5-year plan, what do we do in the first year, second year, third year? What growth targets do we set, and if those targets are not met, how do we adjust?

In technology, is it possible to build foundational AI models in Nepali? It is very costly, and no single company can just do it alone, but maybe it is possible with collaboration and support — including building data centers and AI tools so that execution becomes easier.

So there are many technology-related problems that need to be properly planned and thought out.

The second big bucket is talent. Nepal already has talent, and many companies are running services and building products — some are selling abroad, some domestically. But how do we further grow this talent pool?

In the context of AI, especially AI-enabled services and products, we need structured upskilling and education systems. That needs serious attention.

The third area is funding and investment. Any company needs revenue, profit, and growth — especially in the early stage when funding is crucial. Policies around investment and funding must be carefully designed and approved, otherwise implementation becomes difficult.

Personally, I have an optimistic view. I believe that if you cannot fully control something, you should not worry too much — instead focus on the positive side of challenges.

We often talk about brain drain, but even if people go abroad and succeed, they can still help contribute back and support Nepal’s growth.

If you look at India and its diaspora, for example, cultural community strength plays a big role in development. Nepal is also a society with strong community potential.

However, compared to developed countries, sometimes our relationships at the local level (like with neighbors) are weaker. In developed countries, community bonds tend to be stronger. But the next generation in Nepal seems more socially connected, which is hopeful.

Politics changes frequently, but no matter which party comes into power, the direction of what needs to be done is actually quite clear. It is not rocket science.

The issue is that once a party wins, politics becomes adversarial and disruptive, which is not productive.

Here’s a clean English translation of your full message (edited slightly only for clarity, not meaning):

I hope to see less of that happening, but regardless of what happens, it shouldn’t matter to me personally.

A billion-dollar economy, a hundred thousand people creating value — that already happened without the government even fully paying attention. Think about it.

It’s like power — electricity. It’s good that we now have it, but it comes from nature: soil, sun, and so on.

My only expectation from government should be to remove the “evil” from this world. Because otherwise, “good people doing nothing” leads to stagnation.

Even if the government does whatever it does, growth doesn’t necessarily come from that alone, so I am not really worried.

People who left Nepal are doing well financially, building things globally, but many of them face an identity crisis — maybe even more than before.

For example, my son studies in the UK. Without me telling him, he took a Nepal flag with him. That identity still exists deeply.

We can mobilize the diaspora like this — like saying, “you are the bridge, this is the connection point.” I think that potential exists.

Some people might call this delusional, but I don’t think so.

Because if you look at movements like the Gen Z revolution or political changes, the real issue is not just political change — it is mindset change.

We should not only be changing governments; we should be changing thinking across every sector — including technology.

For example, instead of asking why someone earns so much or gets bonuses, we should think: how do we create more people who can earn like that?

The mindset should shift toward:

• instead of questioning private sector success,
• ask how to create more millionaires, entrepreneurs, and value creators — not just at the top, but across all levels.

Then we move into a Q&A section:

How does a company like “Fume Machine” make money?

By selling products and services globally.

Main offerings:

• AI studios
• AI engines
• industry-specific solutions
• consulting/services teams that build solutions for clients

Key idea: customers don’t buy technology — they buy solutions to their problems.

So the process is:

1. Identify pain points
2. Understand customer problems
3. Build solutions
4. Sell based on value, not tech

What does a Nepali founder need for global scale?

• Focus on solving real pain points
• Find customers willing to pay for solutions
• Build around demand, not just ideas

Which AI skills create real income?

Core foundation:

• math (linear algebra, calculus, probability, statistics)
• coding skills

But now it is changing:

• knowing how to use AI tools (LLMs, GenAI) is becoming more important

Advice for youth:

• Learn AI tools deeply
• Find practical use cases
• Become excellent at applying them

Where does the Nepali market have high volume?

• Kathmandu and outside Valley are almost 50–50 split in sales

Why can data fail in Nepal (and everywhere)?

• Data can be interpreted to support whatever you want
• You must combine:
• data
• real-world anecdotes
• ground reality

Example idea:
Sometimes “no complaints” doesn’t mean “no problems” — you have to look deeper.

Tips for sellers on a marketplace:

• Focus on customer programs (like free shipping)
• Use platform marketing reach
• Leverage existing infrastructure
• Quality assurance is still a major challenge

How does internet physically reach Nepal?

• Data comes from servers mostly in India and Singapore (for platforms like YouTube, Facebook, TikTok)
• It travels through undersea cables and terrestrial fiber routes via India

What helped WorldLink grow?

• persistence and mission mindset
• not purely profit-driven initially
• securing trust from banks and financing support
• ability to scale investment after funding access

Future challenges for telecom growth:

• government licensing and regulation
• outdated telecom laws (some still based on 1997 framework)

If you want, I can also turn this into a  structured essay,  speech, or  policy memo so it reads like a professional strategy document.

a lot of problems for them in the future. So I hope that the new governments come in, they tinker with it and modernize the act so that companies like Worldlink can do more and there's more stability in the policies that we can follow and they're more up to date. What do you think is the impact of quality internet on growth of startups in Nepal? Well, I think they can answer that. I think most of us realized the value of the internet that companies like Worldlink provide during the COVID times. If you look at the first thing, the Nepal government itself behaves so badly. If you look at the internet, it is all there, right? You have everything. What is your service value? Why are you doing business like this? COVID came and said, hey, this is also there. If it wasn't for this, education wouldn't have worked, commerce wouldn't have worked, government wouldn't have worked, business wouldn't have worked, nothing would have worked. That's it. So I think the value of broadband and high-quality broadband that only fiber can deliver in today's day and age became very apparent to everyone during COVID times. What one tip would you give someone who's thinking of founding a tech company today? Well, I always tell this that, like I heard on this table as well, you know, when you're young, you have the most ability to take risks and fail, you know, because you can always come back, you can always get back up. When I started working also, I told myself that worst case scenario, I will go to America and do a master's. Right? If you are there, then I will do a PhD. What a big deal. In fact, I never intended to stick with this company for 30 years. I always had it in my mind that I'll leave. I know, so I would tell young people that, you know, please take the risk, and please, if you have a dream, a passion, you know, that you want to follow, please do it, and at the most, you will lose some money and a couple of years of your life. Wow, that's great. That's great advice. Thank you, Ajitji. So, where does Lotus find most of its business now, and what shift have you seen in that? We are going really heavy on the offshoring industry, just because we've seen so much potential there, and you know, we are, it's, we don't, we have a demand problem, not a supply problem. We have lots of supply, and we're going to do more and more of that, but we're innovating as we move forward. So, for example, when I mentioned about my new startup, when I was pitching to the investors, it was about putting headcounts on bums and seats, but now I should be talking about seats only. They could be humans or they could be robots. We don't know, but, you know, offshoring. And then offshoring doesn't have to be sort of cheap labor. Offshoring, offshoring just has to be a place where you get a, it's like a setting of a factory in a bubble. I mean, you see some products, services, and all that stuff, but not necessarily a cheap labor play, but an innovation play. And then, you know, what Fuse Machine did was really, you know, it's, we're, there are steps that's happening to make us very credible, and we've got seats on the table with the big boys, so to speak. So, another big. Big people. Big people. Big people. I really want to give you a slap on the wrist. So in every sector in Nepal. The problem is that similar institutions outside pay many times more. How do you retain talent? We are okay with them leaving, you know, because we believe in that employee's growth. If them leaving is actually benefiting to their growth, we actually encourage that. We don't have a systemic problem with that because we can find people that can replace their spot. But having said that, we're very careful as to what sector we want to go heavy in. Are you looking for a designer for your hotel project? It's not easy to find the ideal designer. Right, so we're not going to do rocket engineering and all that stuff. We don't have people, but if it's anything on financial operations, on creative or accounting or all that stuff, lots of people. Okay, all right. So what honest minimum does a younger young founder need to start a tech service company now? You know, don't think it's a tech service company. Just say it's like, if you really think about it, right? I mean, tech is required for any industry. So when you say tech service industry, people say it's like coding and, you know, that's the mindset that people have here. Like, for example, our 600 people, 90% of them are not tech people. They're accountants. This is the thing people don't realize. After the tech enabled, it becomes like that. It's like, is there a business laptop? That's what I say, you know, like this phone also, you can use it just for TikTok and social media and everything else. Or you can use it as the biggest learning thing. I remember when I was... Slightly before, a few studying in the States, internet was just coming. We used to have computer labs. And it's right, you then Nepali language, Nepali media. So, it takes around a year to two years for every of these agencies to be established. So, sales processes, as you have said, Asakopodi. Two years of conversation, planning, of doing, trying out, gadaatakhiri, yo ta build up huncha. So, it's a long process and it's going to be there and it's going to grow. So, as you grow, you need more and more talented people with the same thought process. Do you find enough in Nepal? Actually, it's getting a lot better. I don't know your tech, you supply tech reiki, so tech resources, I think the HR companies are also being there, step up the game. The employees there are also, you know, a lot of international experience. So, when you get the right skill set, you get that out there. We've been quite lucky. The main common resources that you have hand-held, especially on the ones that need really certifications, signing atma, we cannot do this. Now, India is really a tech company, but Nepal technical certification देनु नै गाह्रो छ, culture छैन, पढाउने ठाउँ पनि छैन. So, that has put us a little bit, you know, backwards. But other than that, let's say from a 19-year-old doing AI tagging to, you know, a 23-year-old who has worked for about five years and leading a 40-people team, to being part of a global AI innovation, उनीहरूसँग मिलेर we are building AI products that are going to be in the market and that are going to be, even need to be sales ma pana use AI models haru ma chai. We are working. So, the range is wide, you know, so there's big opportunities and quite competitive in the Asian mindsetly. But globally. So what tech skills would you tell some student who is going to study? What are the skills that they should focus on? Tech skills, I think this touches every sector. Right now, the tech solution that we are solving problems actually. Real-life problems. Two mindsets, but magic happens. Otherwise, students that they are learning tech to solve a problem, not to learn it. And that's why when we see more innovation, more entrepreneurship, so my thing is you start from basics, you prove, you go to the market, you use the skill, you volunteer, then you've done that, then go to the next level, your programming, database, and again, do volunteering. That's how I did. Again, volunteering, do it, get the base. Now you want to be a more project manager and those skills, soft skills within oneself, go in the field and try it out. You're uncertain or you are not comfortable. Go out there and do it. And till the channel, continuous, I've never in my life, even as a coding map, that I'm comfortable and I am, you know, all good, that I'm not able to do, I don't have to learn anything but this. As a coding map, continuous learning, continuously climb AI's problem-solving technology. It has to be a continuous process. Wonderful. Thank you so much, everybody. I just want one comment from each of you as to what you see the future for Are You, not for your company, not for yourself, for Are You who are thinking tech. What do you see the future in Nepal or wherever they want to take? Starting with you. Yes. Yeah, I think there's a lot of potential. The growth is happening. I think, you know, as I see like even across this table, as well as there's a lot of like other companies, the freelancing, even some of like the Dara's employees now do freelancing for companies abroad. I think the, as the move itself becomes more fluid in a way, I think the opportunities are bigger than me. I see a lot of growth, a lot of potential. If passion and grit is there, you can build product and services here that serves not just Nepal, but all the countries around the world globally. In a world filled with distractions, bullet journaling is...