Kathmandu, November 21, 2025 – The Embassy of India in Kathmandu, in partnership with the AI Association of Nepal, today organized a major event titled “AI for Inclusive Growth: Building Nepal’s AI Ready Future.” The event, which drew over 400 participants, has been recognized as an official pre-Summit event for the upcoming AI Impact Summit in New Delhi.
The conference served as a platform to discuss recent AI developments and spotlight the AI Impact Summit, scheduled for February 19-20, 2026, in New Delhi. Attendees included a diverse cross-section of Nepali society from startups, government entities, chambers of commerce, the Robotics Association of Nepal, academic institutions, think tanks, and media.
The Hon’ble Minister for Communication and Information Technology of Nepal, Mr. Jagdish Kharel, attended as the Chief Guest. In his address, he outlined the Government of Nepal’s own AI initiatives and highlighted the potential for bilateral cooperation in the artificial intelligence domain.
Ambassador of India to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, speaking at a Plenary Session, detailed the principles behind India’s ‘AI for ALL’ approach. He emphasized that the upcoming AI Impact Summit aims to refocus the global AI conversation onto the tangible ‘impact’ of the technology. Ambassador Srivastava also encouraged Nepal’s youth to participate actively in the summit’s global challenges: ‘AI for ALL,’ ‘AI for HER,’ and ‘YUVAi.’
A keynote presentation was delivered by Mr. Amitabh Nag, CEO of the Digital India Bhashini Division, who demonstrated how the Bhashini AI platform is transforming public service delivery in India. Mr. Anirban Sarma, Director of the Digital Societies Initiative at the Observer Research Foundation, provided an overview of the AI Impact Summit to the attendees.
The agenda also featured a panel discussion on “Leveraging AI for Nepal’s Growth,” moderated by Dr. Suresh Pokharel of the AI Association of Nepal. The discussion included perspectives from Mr. Adesh Khadka, Joint Secretary of the Government of Nepal, on developing a national AI policy. Er. Bikash Gurung, President of the Robotics Association of Nepal, spoke on growing robotics and AI adoption among youth, while Mr. Sixit Bhatta, Founder of Vriddhi Sanjal, posited AI as a key component for Nepal’s Digital Public Infrastructure.
The event concluded with a practical workshop on AI tools and architecture, led by representatives from the AI Association of Nepal, which included industrial case studies on the use of Bhashini AI in India. Secretary of Nepal’s Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Ms. Radhika Aryal, was also in attendance as a Special Guest.
The AI Impact Summit in February 2026 will feature three global challenges and a Research Symposium. Applications can be submitted online at https://impact.indiaai.gov.in. 
