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Nepal’s economy is a picture of stark contrasts. On the one hand, it is a country with a growing GDP, which reached an all-time high of US$41.18 billion in 2022, and deep-rooted traditional sectors like agriculture, tourism and retail, which form the backbone of employment and national income. On the other hand, Nepal is on the cusp of a digital revolution, as evidenced by the government’s ambitious plans. The IT Decade programme aims to raise ICT services exports to Rs 3 trillion and create 1.5 million jobs in the IT sector over the next ten years. This momentum is being fueled by the explosive growth of financial technology, which has already transformed the daily lives of millions of Nepalese.
The central thesis of this study is that the future sustainability and growth of Nepal’s traditional economy depends directly on bridging the gap between its analogue present and digital ambitions. The key to this lies not only in large-scale government projects, but also in the mass adoption of accessible and affordable IT solutions by the thousands of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that dominate the country’s economic landscape. The local IT sector, currently largely focused on international clients, has the potential to unlock this domestic potential and become a major engine of national growth.
In this article, we will analyze Nepal’s digital foundation, delve deeply into the challenges faced by traditional sectors, review the available IT tools from core systems to advanced cloud services, assess the role of the local IT industry, and finally propose a strategic roadmap for businesses, IT companies, and government agencies.
Nepal’s economy is a picture of stark contrasts. On the one hand, it is a country with a growing GDP, which reached an all-time high of US$41.18 billion in 2022, and deep-rooted traditional sectors like agriculture, tourism and retail, which form the backbone of employment and national income. On the other hand, Nepal is on the cusp of a digital revolution, as evidenced by the government’s ambitious plans. The IT Decade programme aims to raise ICT services exports to Rs 3 trillion and create 1.5 million jobs in the IT sector over the next ten years. This momentum is being fueled by the explosive growth of financial technology, which has already transformed the daily lives of millions of Nepalese.
The central thesis of this study is that the future sustainability and growth of Nepal’s traditional economy depends directly on bridging the gap between its analogue present and digital ambitions. The key to this lies not only in large-scale government projects, but also in the mass adoption of accessible and affordable IT solutions by the thousands of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that dominate the country’s economic landscape. The local IT sector, currently largely focused on international clients, has the potential to unlock this domestic potential and become a major engine of national growth.
In this article, we will analyze Nepal’s digital foundation, delve deeply into the challenges faced by traditional sectors, review the available IT tools from core systems to advanced cloud services, assess the role of the local IT industry, and finally propose a strategic roadmap for businesses, IT companies, and government agencies.