Kathmandu – The 9th edition of the Indrive ICT Award 2024, held at the Hyatt Regency Kathmandu, has successfully concluded. The event featured Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung, as the Chief Guest.
The awards were presented across 15 categories, recognizing outstanding startups from all seven provinces with the Startup Recognition Award. The awards were handed out by notable figures, including Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung, the Chief Minister of Karnali Province, and the Vice-Chair of the National Planning Commission, Prof. Dr. Shivaraj Adhikari.
In his address, Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung acknowledged the government’s shortcomings in the development of information technology. “We declare an IT decade but fail to allocate sufficient budgets for its implementation. Nepal still lacks an IT park. The state must focus on infrastructure development and policy reforms to create a conducive environment for the private sector,” he stated.
Karnali Province’s Chief Minister, Yam Lal Kandel, expressed that the ICT Award sends a positive message about development and progress, particularly during a time of public discontent and frustration.
Razan Lamsal, Chairperson of the ICT Award, highlighted that the program has been working toward the development and promotion of the digital ecosystem since 2016, both in Nepal and internationally. He emphasized the need for the government to undertake policy reforms and provide further support.
Ambar Bahadur Thapa, Chair of the Education, Health, and ICT Committee of the House of Representatives, noted that while technology has connected the world, Nepal is still lagging in IT development. National Planning Commission Vice-Chair, Prof. Dr. Shivaraj Adhikari, praised the ICT Award for identifying and spotlighting talent across the country, reaffirming the government’s commitment to prioritizing IT and startups.
Winners of the Indrive ICT Award 2024:
- Indrive Startup ICT Award: Crimson Tech
- Product ICT Award: API Management System (APIMS)
- Rising Star ICT Award: SpeakUp Nepal
- Asia Foundation Social Innovation ICT Award: GeoKrishi
- Hamro Pay Public Choice ICT Award: Zapp Services
- Digital Education ICT Award (Private Sector): LRI School, Kathmandu
- Digital Education ICT Award (Public Sector): Sukuna Secondary School, Morang
- Ncell Women Icon ICT Award: Bandana Sharma
- Pioneer ICT Award: Prof. Dr. Suresh Raj Sharma
- Entrepreneur ICT Award: Manohar Adhikari
- Nepali Diaspora ICT Award: Nami Baral
- Digital Services ICT Award: IME Pay
- Digital Governance ICT Award: Supreme Court
- South Asia Startup ICT Award: Hyphen SCS (India)
Outstanding startups from all seven provinces were honored with the Province Startup ICT Recognition 2024. The following startups were recognized for their outstanding contributions:
- Koshi Province: Delta Tech Pvt. Ltd.
- Madhesh Province: Tejas Tech Pvt. Ltd.
- Bagmati Province: Aviyantrik Karmashala Pvt. Ltd.
- Gandaki Province: Akash Digital Pvt. Ltd.
- Lumbini Province: Ninja Infosys Pvt. Ltd.
- Karnali Province: Business Online Services Pvt. Ltd.
- Sudurpaschim Province: Far West Infotech & Research Center
The ICT Award, established in 2016, is regarded as Nepal’s largest and most prestigious award in the field of information and communication technology. It is also an official partner of international awards such as the WSA Awards and Aurora Tech Awards.
As part of the pre-event activities, startup meetups were held across all seven provinces, alongside a two-day Startup and Idea Fest, boot camps, mentoring sessions, industry visits, field visits, speed dating, and presentations. The grand finale was broadcast live on Kantipur TV HD, Hamro Patro, the ICT Award Facebook page, and the YouTube channel.
The awards ceremony also featured musical performances by singer Mahesh Kafle and singer Asmita Adhikari, adding a special touch to the event.
The event was supported by Indrive, Ncell Foundation, NepalPay QR, Genese, and Zoom, with additional collaboration from the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the Department of Information Technology, and the Nepal Telecommunications Authority. Partners included The Asia Foundation (Innovation Partner), Smart-en Technology (Powered by Partner), and Fortinet (Security Partner).
