Stakeholders have emphasized the urgent need for Nepal to formulate a clear policy, establish infrastructure, and develop an action plan for the advancement and adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies.
Given Nepal’s relatively weak standing in the field of information technology (IT), experts highlighted the importance of coordination and collaboration with international companies and countries to accelerate technological progress.
Speakers at an interaction program titled “China’s Technological Innovation and Development: Unlocking Opportunities for Nepal”, organized by the Friends of Silk Road Club-Nepal in Kathmandu last week, urged the need for Nepal to identify its priorities and develop well-defined legal frameworks, infrastructure, skilled human resources, and market strategies.
Lawmaker Ramhari Khatiwada stressed that Nepal must actively adapt to the advancements made in technology. “We can benefit from the technological progress achieved by our two neighbors, China and India,” said Khatiwada, emphasizing the urgency of enacting laws related to It and AI.
Chairman of the Nepal-China Friendship Forum, Kalyan Raj Sharma, underscored the importance of understanding AI both theoretically and practically within Nepal’s context. “It is crucial to analyze how the government perceives the development and application of IT and AI in its policies,” he said. “While leading Chinese AI companies like Huawei and DeepSeek are setting global benchmarks, Nepal must explore how it can leverage such advancements.”
Speakers identified major challenges in Nepal’s IT sector, including limited foreign direct investment (FDI), lack of intergovernmental mechanisms, difficulties in technology transfer, and growing cybersecurity threats. Sharma further pointed out that the lack of clarity on whether the government or the private sector should take the lead in technological development has created uncertainty in the IT sector.
Pranjal Timilsina, who specializes in digitalization, noted that even Nepal’s major business institutions remain hesitant to adopt AI, despite its transformative potential.
Speakers at the event emphasized the need for greater efforts in capacity building to prepare Nepal’s IT sector for the adoption of AI and other emerging technologies.
The event saw participation from IT professionals and students.
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