Diaspora professionals call upon Nepal govt to promote the country as a tech hub

DUBLIN: Nepali tech professionals have called upon the Nepal government to do more to promote the country as an information technology (IT) hub.

Addressing an interaction entitled ‘Nepal Beyond Borders: Diaspora Connect,’ in Dublin on Saturday, founder and CEO of the UK-based Value IT Consulting Company, Genese Solution, Anjani Phuyal, said that in collaboration with companies like Amazon, Nepali academic institutions are producing world class graduates.

“We now have graduates in cutting-edge subjects like cloud, data science, Generative AI and cyber security. We are now having an oversupply of our graduates. The challenge is to utilise their capacity within the country as well as globally.”

Mr Phuyal said that the IT sector in India started to flourish in the mid-1990s and now they are world leaders. But Indian talents are more costly. “Nepal now has that opportunity to fill in the gap. Nepali professionals are working in top tech companies in the US and Europe. Now, we should aim to utilise their skills, experience, and network to promote Nepal as an emerging IT destination,” he added.

Mr Phuyal, who is the first Nepali Amazon Web Services (AWS) ambassador, said that the first generation of Nepali immigrants were doing great despite challenges to integrate in their host society. He urged the participants to share their expertise and network to promote Nepali talents abroad.

“Nepalese in the US have developed a support system, which can be copied by diaspora elsewhere. “ He encouraged the attendees to leverage their diverse skills and experiences to contribute meaningfully to the growth of Nepali diaspora. Technology is an enabler and it can be leveraged in any field and sector, he added. Mr Phuyal, who is founder of Girls in Tech-Nepal is also the regional lead of Women in Big Data. “We are encouraging and attracting more female talent to the big data & analytics field and helping them connect, engage and grow,” he said.

A recent study conducted by IIDS, a Kathmandu-based think tank, estimated the IT service export industry in Nepal at approximately 515 million USD in 2022, representing an outstanding growth of 64.2% compared to 2021.

President of NRNA Ireland chapter, Prakash Sapkota, said NRNA is working to bring Nepali professionals together and channelise their skills, expertise and resources for the development of Nepal. “We stand ready to support Nepali diaspora in whatever way possible.”

The event made an effort to foster a sense of unity and shared purpose among Nepali diaspora in Ireland. Professionals from diverse backgrounds gathered, engaged in conversations, making connections, and sharing experiences. They also shared their professional journeys and insights.

Those attending the interaction included IT engineers, data scientists, Ph D students, Architect, Accountants, students and NRNA Ireland office-bearers.