07/13/2026
Last Friday, we organized our third CEO Dialogue, "Supporting Nepali Entrepreneurs through AI Readiness," in Bharatpur, Chitwan, featuring Parag Shrestha, Managing Director – South Asia and Head of Strategy at Fusemachines.
The event was organized by the U.S. Embassy Nepal under the U.S.-Nepal Commercial Diplomacy Series, in partnership with the International Development Institute, Aadyanta Advisory, AmCham Nepal, and The Global Compact Initiative, with Fusemachines serving as the strategic partner.
Three powerful numbers—and three compelling voices—defined the conversation as entrepreneurs explored what it takes for Nepali businesses to compete globally and how AI readiness can help them get there.
Roshan Ghimire, Director of the International Development Institute, opened the dialogue by reflecting on 250 years of American independence and 75 years of the Nepal-U.S. partnership. He highlighted how Nepal's growing tech ecosystem can learn from America's entrepreneurial culture and rapid AI innovation, emphasizing that greater collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and partnerships can help strengthen Nepal's emerging technology sector, including the innovation ecosystem in Bharatpur.
The keynote speaker, Parag Shrestha, shared one statistic that captured the realities of entrepreneurship in Nepal: 9 out of 10 businesses fail. Yet, Nepali entrepreneurs continue to build, innovate, and persevere despite an ecosystem that is still evolving to support them. He also spoke about the three pillars now working in Nepal's favor: talent, policy, and artificial intelligence. He said "Nepal has the talent, and the policy opportunities are within reach. Artificial intelligence is the third pillar that can accelerate Nepal's journey toward transformative growth."
Adding another powerful perspective, Rojesh Shikhrakar, AI Education Lead at Fusemachines, shared how the economics of AI have fundamentally changed. He noted that AI's raw intelligence has become nearly 40 times cheaper, transforming it from a specialist technology into an accessible co-pilot for businesses across industries—from finance and manufacturing to agriculture and services.
The dialogue brought together more than 70 entrepreneurs, founders, business leaders, and technology professionals from the Bharatpur region for an engaging discussion on innovation, entrepreneurship, and Nepal's AI future.
The conversation made one thing clear: while challenges remain, Nepal has a unique opportunity to combine its entrepreneurial talent, supportive policy environment, and advances in AI to build globally competitive businesses.
