Third CAN B2B Summit focuses on digital transformation, AI

KATHMANDU: The third CAN B2B Summit 2025, organised by the Federation of Computer Association Nepal (CAN Federation), opened in Lalitpur on Saturday.

The two‑day summit aims to strengthen Nepal’s information and communications technology (ICT) sector and enhance coordination among entrepreneurs.

Inaugurating the summit, the Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Jagadish Kharel, said e‑voting could be introduced if political parties reach a national consensus. He emphasised modernising the electoral system through the maximum use of technology and said e‑voting arrangements could be implemented at low cost if national consensus is achieved.

“In this era of information technology, it is sad that we are compelled to spend billions of rupees on printing paper ballots and transporting them with security for two days,” Minister Kharel said. “To achieve the goal of Digital Nepal, there is no alternative for the government but to become technology‑friendly. The demand for digital pathways is increasing, and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MoCIT) is accelerating policy and structural reforms.”

Minister Kharel also said the government is preparing to conduct the House of Representatives (HoR) elections on March 5, 2026, and is committed to maintaining good governance in accordance with the spirit of the Gen Z movement.

Speakers at the summit urged the government to create an environment that guarantees investment security and to introduce a clear investment protection policy. Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) President Chandra Prasad Dhakal, Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) President Kamlesh Kumar Agrawal, and Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) President Birendra Raj Pandey said thousands of jobs could be created in the IT sector.

CAN Federation President Sunaina Ghimire Pandey said the summit would help bridge the gap between technology and business and make the Nepali ICT industry future‑oriented. CAN Federation General Secretary Chandra Bilas Bhurtel added that the summit’s main achievement was expanding trade by bringing entrepreneurs, dealers and importers from across the country onto a single platform.

On the first day, special discussions focused on the digital transformation of IT business and artificial intelligence, with major companies including High‑Tech and Tech World Distribution presenting their technologies. CAN Federation Vice President Srijana Shrestha outlined the sessions, and Senior Vice President Chiranjibi Adhikari gave a vote of thanks, saying data centres and cloud services are the backbone of Nepal’s digital economy.

The programme, which continues until this evening, focuses on cybersecurity and AI, with a panel discussion planned on growing cyber challenges and the role of AI in addressing them. More than 100 technical representatives and entrepreneurs are participating in the two‑day summit.