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LONDON, July 5: Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Nepal in the British Parliament, MP Alex Baker, has stressed the need to establish direct air connectivity between Kathmandu and London.
Speaking at the high-level Nepal-UK Tech Forum organized at the Nepali Embassy in London on Friday, MP Baker emphasised the importance of strengthening ties between the two countries at both government and people-to-people levels.
Nepal’s Ambassador to the UK, Chandrakumar Ghimire, said Nepal has now become an energy-exporting country and is witnessing vibrant growth in the technology sector. Calling Nepal one of the best destinations for trade and investment for the UK, he urged British companies to outsource IT services to Nepal.
British Ambassador to Nepal, Rob Fenn, said now is a favourable time to bring in more British investment and expand bilateral trade. He highlighted the unique relationship between Nepal and the UK shaped by the legacy of Gurkha soldiers, shared democratic values, rule of law, and strong people-to-people ties. He also shared that preparations were underway to sign a double taxation avoidance agreement between the two countries.
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Chief Executive Officer of the Investment Board Nepal, Sushil Bhatta, said the Government of Nepal has prioritised energy, ICT, and infrastructure development. He highlighted that Nepal allows 100 percent foreign direct investment in the IT sector, offers seven-year tax exemptions, and allows full repatriation of profits. He also shared plans to build IT parks in all seven provinces and set up an IT Promotion Board chaired by the Prime Minister.
Founder of Dolma Impact Fund, Tim Gocher, pointed to the vast potential to boost Nepal’s productivity through AI and data centres. He said Nepal's cold climate in the Himalayas, clean energy, and digital workforce make it ideal for building world-class data centres.
President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Chandra Prasad Dhakal, said Nepal’s private sector is ready to lead innovation and transformation and stressed the need for policy stability for at least the next ten years. Despite being an emerging sector, Nepal has already demonstrated global competitiveness in IT and digital services, he said. “We are open to joint ventures, e-governance, and other partnerships. We invite you to collaborate in building a digital future,” Dhakal stated.
Anjani Phuyal, CEO of London-headquartered IT company Genese Solution, said Nepal’s young professionals are delivering quality services in the global market and urged British firms to invest in Nepal.
President of NAS IT, a representative body of Nepali IT companies, Santosh Koirala, shared that around 90,000 youth are currently employed in Nepal’s IT sector. “More than 75 percent of our exports currently go to the US. In the next 4–5 years, we aim to expand into the UK market as well,” he said.
Ruby Raut, CEO and Co-founder of UKA Wear and a UK-based entrepreneur, highlighted the need to empower women in the tech sector. She called for short-term training and mentoring support for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Hem Raj Dhakal, Co-founder and Managing Director of IME Group, said Nepal is ready for digital transformation. Similarly, Dr Kapil Rizal, President of the Britain Nepal Chamber of Commerce, said there is significant potential to expand trade and investment between Nepal and the UK.
According to the Embassy of Nepal in the UK, representatives from UK-based sectors such as private equity, fintech, AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity, ed-tech, and health-tech also took part in the forum.
