Digital Gandaki Samvad 2026 unveils national roadmap for sovereign AI, digital transformation

POKHARA: Digital Gandaki Samvad 2026, a provincial conference organised by the CAN Federation Gandaki Province and the CAN Federation Kaski, concluded in Pokhara on Saturday. The event unveiled a national roadmap intended to accelerate Nepal’s digital economy through sovereign artificial intelligence and strategic policy measures.

Federation of Computer Association Nepal (CAN Federation) Acting President and Digital Transformation Leader Chiranjibi Adhikari presented a working paper titled 'Digital Gandaki Samvad 2026: Promotion of Nepal's national IT agenda through sovereign AI and strategic policy advocacy.' The paper set out a policy roadmap focused on regional self-reliance, secure infrastructure and data sovereignty, and proposed concrete steps for integrating local language AI models into public services.

Gunanidhi Pandey, President of CAN Federation Gandaki Province, welcomed the initiative, saying, “This far-reaching conceptual blueprint developed and initiated by Digital Transformation Leader Chiranjibi Adhikari is highly commendable. This blueprint, based on sovereign AI and strategic policy advocacy, is a crucial foundation for advancing the digital agenda of the province and the entire nation.”

Following the presentation, leaders from the local technology sector pledged support for taking the proposals forward. Purushottam Kunwar, President of CAN Federation Kaski, said the acting president Adhikari’s vision provides a clear path from policy to practice and affirmed CAN Kaski’s commitment to realising the plan. Sabi Sherchan, President of ICT Cooperative Pokhara, expressed confidence that the discussions on internet infrastructure, digital payments and secure digital governance will strengthen technological development at the local level.

The CAN Federation presented five main reform proposals for government consideration. These include maintaining 1% corporate tax rate for domestic IT companies to encourage the industry; amending the Public Procurement Act to give mandatory priority to Nepal-made software; deploying local language-based large language models to automate administrative services; enforcing national security standards with mandatory security audits and data security assurance for portals at all local levels; and establishing an environmentally friendly data centre and an ICT innovation lab in Pokhara that leverages Gandaki’s hydroelectric capacity.

Speakers also highlighted persistent gaps in provincial digital access. Citing the national report 'Digital Governance in Palika and provinces Efforts and Practices,' delegates noted that analysis of more than 434 local governments shows about 6% of ward offices still lack electricity and 5% do not have internet connectivity. Organisers urged adoption of a Data for Decision Making (D4D) system to better target resources and close the digital divide.

The conference concluded with a call for collaboration between federal and provincial authorities to realise the vision of Digital Nepal, aligning efforts with the Constitution’s principles of cooperation, coexistence and coordination.