The man who gave up power and recognition to work in his country where there are places with potatoes, corns and no salt.
The year was 1992, when Allen B. Tuladhar returned back to Nepal from the USA with big dreams in his eyes. He wanted to transfer technology to his motherland and lessen the digital divide between Silicon valley and Kathmandu. His dreams would be tested in different ways, but Tuladhar would still carry on with even bigger dream. He has been making computers work for the past 24 years. He created Typeshala, with Ram and Ravan on two sides hitting arrows of Nepali words. He sold only two copies and got paid 9 months late. He also made the first truetype Nepali font and bought together competitors in the same table through the Computer Association of Nepal. It was when Tuladhar learnt the power of collaboration. He says, “We do not know how to collaborate”.
Tuladhar had taken up the job to computerize Rising Nepal. He stayed there for 6 days and night to make sure it was printed. People were terrified that computers would eat up their jobs. Along the way he also sowed the first seeds of what is today the CAAN infotech. It was first held at a hotel.
Allen Tuladhar has been called the Bill Gates of Nepal, but he says he has nothing in common with the technology billionaire. “I do not wear glasses”
Allen Tuladhar has been called the Bill Gates of Nepal, but he says he has nothing in common with the technology billionaire. “I do not wear glasses”, he adds. In 1997, he met Bill Gates when the other asked him what can he do for Nepal, Tuladhar replied, “Remove the language barrier”. Windows softwares were not available in Nepali and Tuladhar felt this was a big problem. Windows XP was released in 2000, when Tuladhar wanted a live telecast but was not possible due to the primary stages of technology in Nepal. Three years later the Nepali version was released.
For his efforts in bringing Nepali into computers and softwares, Tuladhar has also been called the ‘Modern Bhanubhakta’. Giving Nepali names to techno terms was indeed a difficult and humorous task. What should a mouse be called, muso? What about windows? Jhyal? A program was specially run asking people to name such terms. Tuladhar’s meeting with Bill Gates and his hard work bore its fruit when Windows 10 was released in Nepali the same minute as its English counterpart. He is working on converting all major softwares to include Nepali language. He considers the spell checker in Nepali as his personal best software development.
Tuladhar had 1680 employees working for him in 3 cities. They were making softwares and coding for hospitals in the US. The government of Nepal had also agreed to cover the training costs for his employees. That was when the civil war struck and all developmental budgets were frozen. He considers this to be the darkest days of his life. Business became difficult to run and he had to sell his campus in three different locations to sustain. Tuladhar was also battling his own personal war trying to save his daughter. She passed away at the tender age of 17 and Tuladhar vowed to dedicate his remaining life to the youths of the country.
He has been touching the lives of thousands of youths with the aim to brighten up their careers and lives. He always had the opportunity to leave the country. He even denied the chance to be the second man at the Shanghai office of Microsoft. He has been focusing on entrepreneurship to build the youth while removing the digital divide in the country.
His project edunet Nepal has donated over 3000 computers in the remote areas, constructed 30 computer labs in more than 50 schools and aims to start over 500 labs in 500 schools. It is his dream to take a youth’s company to a $1 billion company. He says it might be difficult but it can be done. Tuladhar is also involved in many other ventures and to develop the youth will always be the dream he carries.
Allen B. Tuladhar denied the offer to be the second man at Shanghai Office of Microsoft. After losing his daughter, he pledged his life for the youth of the country. Tuladhar is the Country Director at Microsoft Innovation Center Nepal. He has been working to develop and groom youths for a digital Nepal.
