As Bhutan’s entrepreneurial ecosystem gradually evolves, it is widely acknowledged, including by the government, that significant efforts are still needed to uplift the private sector to become a dynamic driver of the Bhutanese economy. In the 13th FYP, the government aims to achieve its vision of becoming a high-income country by enhancing productivity and diversifying products and markets for sustainable economic growth. One strategy outlined in the document to achieve this vision is facilitating private sector development and participation to foster a robust entrepreneurial culture and ecosystem.We will explore Tashi Wangdi’s entrepreneurial journey and the realities of founding and running a business in Bhutan. We hope this conversation with Tashi, who exemplifies thinking big, starting small and continuing to persevere despite the odds, will inspire young entrepreneurs to pursue meaningful ventures and stay resilient and purpose-driven to turn their visions into impactful realities

Artificial intelligence is reshaping industries and societies around the world, offering both remarkable opportunities and profound challenges. As AI technology becomes increasingly integrated into our daily lives, ensuring it is developed and used responsibly is crucial. This involves creating robust governance frameworks and building digital trust, particularly for Bhutan, a country that is on the cusp of significant growth and innovation.

As research and development in AI progresses, it's becoming clear that AI's potential extends far beyond robots and self-driving cars. We are increasingly witnessing the tremendous promise AI holds in transforming our world for the better. Innovative AI tools are being developed to address some of the world’s most pressing issues, from enhancing education and healthcare to preventing crime and disaster and addressing climate change. AI has proven to be a boon to humanity and a powerful force for good.

On December 17th, 2023, marking a significant moment in the history of Bhutan, His Majesty the King officially announced the establishment of the Gelephu Mindfulness City. Highlighting GMC’s significant role in steering Bhutan’s future, His Majesty underscored that Bhutan is at an ‘inflection point.’ Today, the world is experiencing another inflection point, one brought about by the AI revolution. With the unprecedented rate at which AI is evolving, humanity finds itself at a pivotal juncture, trying to balance between the significant opportunities and the profound challenges that AI poses. To delve into these further, we present the RIGSS Podcast series on Artificial Intelligence. In this four-part series, we will unpack the complexities of AI by engaging with experts from various fields who bring with them their diverse perspectives and experiences with AI. Through these discussions, we hope to provide a comprehensive understanding of AI, its opportunities, and its implications, especially for Bhutan, a small nation that has set on the path of realising ambitious goals

In 2017, in one of his interviews, Stephen Hawking noted that “[AI] will either be the best thing that’s ever happened to us, or it will be the worst thing. If we’re not careful, it may very well be the last thing.” The advent of AI has brought about innumerable opportunities for humanity but not without its equally, if not more, daunting challenges. Leading AI experts like Alan Turing, Elon Musk and Sam Altman have expressed concerns about AI’s potential existential threats to humanity. Just last year, hundreds of AI experts and CEOs signed a statement calling for the need to include ‘mitigating the risk of extinction from AI’ to the global priority list, alongside pandemics and nuclear war. Conversely, there is a different school of thought that dismisses these concerns as mere scaremongering, akin to something out of a fictional movie plot. While the debate over AI’s catastrophic potential continues, one thing is certain: the rapid advancement of AI calls for the need to balance innovation and ethical responsibility while educating citizens on its responsible use.

Seventy-one years ago, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay left behind a legacy of teamwork, audacity and adventure – inspiring the next generations to dream bigger and higher. Their indomitable spirit opened new horizons of what humanity can achieve with the right mindset and sheer determination. Since that historic achievement on May 29, 1953, the world's highest peak has witnessed many similar triumphs and at the same time many tribulations. Adding to the list of triumphs, Jigme Pelden Dorji, a young and promising lieutenant of the Royal Bhutan Army recently hoisted the country’s flag atop Mount Everest for the first time in the country’s history – making every Bhutanese swell with pride and honour. His achievement is not only symbolic of Bhutan’s ambitions and determination to leap out of mediocrity and commonplace but also an inspiration to many young generations to be limitless. 

‘Impact’ is such a powerful word. There is a deep-seated desire within each one of us to do something impactful in life. Sir Ronald Cohen, in his book, “Impact: Reshaping Capitalism to Drive Real Change” talks about the importance of shifting to a new system of doing business that is more impactful whereby individuals and organizations are encouraged to find fulfilment in being part of something bigger than themselves, and not just to amass wealth. He calls that new system, ‘impact capitalism’. This system aligns the investors and entrepreneurs with the objectives of the government in harmoniously working towards harnessing capital and innovation to solve social and environmental issues. His book provides a huge inspiration to the rising generation of impact entrepreneurs. In his words, “Impact is the hallmark of the new generation.” He is also the author of "The Second Bounce of the Ball - Turning Risk into Opportunity," a book about entrepreneurship.

For a country with a small population, herd mentality in businesses and many other areas could prove detrimental and lead to market bubbles. A case in point – it has been found that the burgeoning number of restaurants across the country is beyond what our current population can support for its sustainable growth. Following the herd can sometimes limit the exploration of untapped markets and hinder innovation and creative problem-solving. It has, therefore, become even more critical to break past the conventional boundaries of doing business and adopt innovative business models by capitalising on emerging trends for a successful venture.

Mr Tandin Dorji, the CEO of EducationPro, started from scratch and has built a name and brand for himself. In a successful entrepreneurial venture, he has managed to identify new growth opportunities to meet customer needs and think strategically beyond the box despite not being the first in the business. He is an alumnus of Murdoch University in Perth in Western Australia and Sherubtse College in Bhutan. He is also the head of Kingston International College in Perth and also one of the founders of the Bhutanese Language School there.

Media is often referred to as the fourth estate of democracy, given its role as a watchdog on the political processes and institutions in ensuring a check and balance. Media in Bhutan continues to play a crucial role in fostering an informed citizenry in the country's democratic processes and promoting civic engagements despite being relatively young and new, especially the private media outlets.

Like anywhere else, the state of media in Bhutan is rife with challenges. The struggle to stay afloat and, reportedly, access to information remain major hurdles towards fostering a vibrant press in the country.

In this interview, Mr. Lamsang discusses the state of media in Bhutan and his unflinching courage and determination to keep informing the masses.

Technology has become an indispensable part of our everyday lives; it is ubiquitous. Today, our existence revolves around technology and innovation, and it’s a reality that it will only be a more significant part of our lives hereon. 
While women continue to make strides, another challenge, yet again, for them to contend with is the tech industry, where they are significantly underrepresented and therefore, the gender gap remains stark. 
The tech industry, like any other, has been a reasonably male-dominated field ever since, and there is now a greater call for gender diversity and inclusion in our education system and workplace. 
The world’s first computer programmer was a woman called Aeda Lovelace from the 19th Century. If she were to be born again in this century, she would be happy to see many women take up leadership roles but not entirely satisfied or even disappointed to notice the stark gender gap in tech, which has been fuelled by age-old biases that have evolved so little.

According to Harari, the most important skills for surviving and flourishing in the 21st century are not specific skills, like computer code, instead the key skill is how to keep mastering new skills throughout our life.

In talking about our technology-dominated future, Harari shares his concerns about the social inequalities such changes will eventually bring to surface. People, and for that matter, nations that have access to new technologies will have the upper hand, being able to control the data and manipulate them as necessary. What are the possibilities of technology narrowing the gaps of inequality at a global scale instead of further enhancing it?

Harari’s global world-view and big-picture level of thinking would be interesting and extremely useful to explore where a small country like Bhutan stands in the grander scheme of things. What do all these oncoming changes mean for a nation like ours that has yet to catch up with the outside world in terms of economic and technological development? More importantly, how can Bhutan prepare itself to better face these challenges, and succeed as a nation?

Themes/lessons such as being adaptable, building emotional balance, embracing change, staying relevant, taking responsibility, collaborating, learning continuously – all of which are well emphasised in Harari’s works – can be directly applied to this discussion.