Pioneering Nepal’s Tech Future: The Inspiring Story of Allen Tuladhar

Kathmandu: Allen Bailochan Tuladhar is a familiar name in Nepal’s information technology sector. He is driven by a vision to change the landscape through relentless effort and bold ideas. Tuladhar has built a reputation as a successful entrepreneur. He helped bring computers to the general public in Nepal, gave the Nepali language a respected place in the digital world, and guided hundreds of young people into the mainstream of technology.

Inspired by a “do it yourself” spirit since childhood, he remains active at age 60. His work ranges from introducing computer use in newspapers to localizing Microsoft products into Nepali. He has also been involved in digital financial services, from the early days of CAN Federation to his current fintech work.

Many know him as a visionary entrepreneur and technology expert. Despite severe personal tragedies, he has stayed committed to his work. For that reason, he is seen as both combative and inspiring in his personal and professional life.

Nurturing a Passion for Technology from an Early Age

Born on July 6, 1965, Allen Bailochan Tuladhar grew up in a Newar family with a business background in Khichapokhari, Kathmandu. The family hotel brought guests from many countries into his life, from Peace Corps volunteers to hippies, and exposed him to different cultures from a young age.

Living near Khichapokhari and Jhochen increased his contact with foreigners and widened his outlook. He read magazines like Do It Yourself, which inspired him to build small kits and try new projects. This was a time when the word “computer” was still new to many in Nepal.

At St. Xavier’s School, Allen’s interest in technology and innovation showed early. He ran a photography club, tried to publish an English magazine with friends, and even built a projector from an empty coin box. These were the first signs of his technical curiosity and entrepreneurial bent.

His full name is Kenneth Allen Bailochan Tuladhar; school friends called him “K Allen.” He says the Western name was likely given because his father ran a tourist hotel. The name “Kenneth Allen” came from a Columbia University professor who stayed at the hotel, a man who once brought elephants from Nepal and sold them to the San Diego Zoo.

Allen was not fond of his name at first, but it made him easy to recognize. He is the youngest of three brothers; his elder brothers are Amitabh and Ratna (known as Maila Dai). As a religious family, they named their children after the Panchabuddhas.

After completing O Levels, his family was worried he might leave the country. To make sure he stays back, he was married at about 18 or 19. His wife, Sapna, was in grade nine at the time. Still, Allen’s inner desire was to explore the emerging world of technology.

Professional journey

Allen’s professional journey began early. While in grade nine, he started a bilingual magazine called ‘Society Today’ with friends. The magazine ran for eight to nine issues. Though not profitable, printing a thousand copies every month was a major challenge, and Allen did everything from writing content to delivering copies by bicycle.

He later launched an English magazine, Spark, which ran for 14–15 issues. The team included Prakash Rimal, Anil Chitrakar, Rosa Bajracharya and Vikas Rauniyar, many who later became well-known in journalism and other fields. Allen even ran a cover story on leader Ganeshman Singh.

Determination to establish an IT foundation in Nepal

When Allen returned to Nepal in 1992 after a spell in the U.S., he saw a major gap: computers were present but almost entirely English-only. Working in Nepali was difficult. The question “Why can’t we use computers in our language?” led him to found Unlimited Technologies. “This was not just the beginning of a company; it was the start of an ambitious campaign to democratize computers in Nepal, to make them accessible to the common person,” he recalls.

Allen’s interest deepened at the ‘Namaste Computer Club,’ a Friday evening gathering at the American library in 048/49. There he learned much about computers. He brought Apple machines (L2, L2E, Lisa) to Nepal, bought through American friends, even with black-market dollars. Those were the early days of computers in the country, and Allen’s steps introduced many to new technology.

In the U.S., he was impressed by his host family’s software business (WordStar). He considered working in software and thought about running an export-import business. The tech growth around San Francisco and Los Angeles drew him in. Family responsibilities, however, forced him to return to Nepal before finishing his studies; he completed college only later.

Back home, he helped introduce computer use in newspapers such as Gorkhapatra and The Rising Nepal. Moving from letterpress to computer-based pagemakers was not easy; it marked a new era for Nepali journalism.

He also tried software development. One early project automated a lottery called Lotto. With no modems or networks then, data moved on floppy disks. Allen developed a security algorithm that made fake tickets impossible. The lottery company offered him a partnership, but he chose to sell only the software, he was not keen on gambling.

Partnership with Microsoft and the dream of Nepali Windows

One of Allen’s most important contributions was localizing Microsoft products into Nepali. He completed this work through Unlimited with Microsoft’s investment. While building Nepali Windows, his team developed tools such as spell check, grammar check, text-to-speech and speech-to-text. These made computing in Nepali far easier.

He remembers strong praise when he demonstrated the technology at a SAARC conference in Pune in 2009. The intellectual property, however, belonged to Microsoft.

Under Allen’s leadership, a Nepali font made Devanagari typing on computers possible. He later created ‘Typeshala’, a typing tutor that used Ramayana characters, Ram and Ravan, to make learning Nepali typing playful. These tools helped many Nepalis take their first steps into computing. “Although these works may seem small now, they played a big role in laying Nepal’s IT foundation,” he says.

A landmark chapter was Allen’s collaboration with Microsoft. Bringing the world’s largest software company into Nepal and adapting Windows to Nepali was no small feat. A meeting with Bill Gates in Mumbai in 1997 proved pivotal. 

“You are doing well in Nepal. How can I help?” Gates asked. That question gave wings to Allen’s long-held dream. After roughly two years of persistent effort and technical problem-solving, Nepali Windows became a reality. Since Windows 7, Nepali users could use computers in their own language. “It was not just software localization. It was a historic step in establishing Nepali language and identity in global technology,” he says.

His work helped establish the Microsoft Innovation Center (MIC) in Nepal, which ran for eight to nine years. He says the Microsoft Student Partner (MSP) program under MIC was among the most successful in the world. “This program brought positive change to hundreds of students and helped build their careers,” he says. MIC provided direct training and guidance; many alumni are now established in the IT sector. Allen also helped team members and MSPs by arranging opportunities and visas for foreign travel.

Role in establishing CAN

Allen helped found the CAN Federation (then Computer Association Nepal) and served as its general secretary. The early CAN team had little money and faced many difficulties, but they did not give up. Today CAN Infotech has reached its 30th edition in the capital, and similar fairs run at provincial and district levels, an idea Allen helped conceive.

The first Infotech was held at Allen’s brother’s hotel, Blue Star. He and his team succeeded in making then-Crown Prince Dipendra the chief guest, raising CAN’s national profile.

At CAN he worked on drafting IT policy and advancing the sector. But not all moments were positive. He missed a key leadership selection meeting because his in-laws were ill; after that, he felt sidelined and stepped back from CAN for a time. He later returned but says many of his suggestions were not adopted.

Focus on digital finance

As the technology landscape shifted, especially after Satya Nadella took the helm at Microsoft, Allen steered his work toward digital financial services and remittances. He acquired the remittance company Lalitmani Transfer and modernized it into platforms such as iPay and later e-Dhewa.

He went beyond traditional remittance services. He built features that align with central bank rules, such as adding 1% interest when remittance funds go into fixed deposits. He also made it easier to apply the government’s 10% quota for investing remittance funds into IPOs. A core feature of his system is that it is cashless and agentless. That reduces costs and increases transparency. He also offered his technology to other remittance firms and banks as a white-label solution.

Allen now focuses on cross-border digital financial services. His platform serves remittance companies and banks, including Machhapuchhre Bank, Everest Bank and Rastriya Banijya Bank. “This model is fully cashless and digital. There is no need for agents. Money that once took three days to clear can now hit a bank account in three minutes,” he says.

He has launched products such as Request Remit, which lets people in Nepal request money to be sent abroad. He also enabled remittance amounts to be deposited directly into fixed deposits, a step he says has helped grow remittance volumes. He integrated a government-backed 1% share guarantee for remittance-funded IPO investments and created the ability to open remittance savings accounts directly from abroad. In collaboration with commercial banks, he is channeling crores of rupees in remittances back into Nepal.

He previously tried to introduce technology in healthcare, transport and retail, with limited success. He says digitizing transport stalled because stakeholders sought shares and control rather than cooperation.

Looking ahead, he plans to push fintech innovation globally, especially to better connect Nepalis abroad with the country. He also wants to tie education to jobs, possibly by running an IT academy, and plans to create multimedia content instead of books to share his experience with thousands of students.

Loss in the family

Despite his achievements, Allen’s personal life has known deep sorrow. His first child, daughter Elaine, died at 15 from an unidentified illness. Before that wound healed, his younger daughter Alisha, who had just returned from the U.K. after completing her PhD, was struck down by dengue. The blows were devastating to a father.

Allen turned grief into purpose. He supports and helps run the Elaine Memorial School in memory of his eldest daughter and is planning a meaningful tribute for his younger daughter. He carries a clear message: no matter how harsh life’s tests, we should keep working.

His family faced other health crises: his wife underwent cancer surgery during the lockdown, and his mother received treatment in Singapore for pancreatic cancer. Despite these trials, he never stepped back from professional duties. He credits his wife, Sapna Tuladhar, as a constant support who helped him stay the course. He often praises the extraordinary care she provided his mother.

During the 2072 earthquake, Allen took an active humanitarian role. He coordinated with Nokia and Ncell to arrange free data and calls, set up solar-powered Wi-Fi zones and charging stations in camps, and helped build 1,700 houses in Gorkha with UNDP.

Satisfied with his professional life

Allen still works 15–16 hours a day, though he admits he can no longer match his earlier physical energy. He prefers a simple life, travels more, goes to the cinema with his wife, and listens to audiobooks. He completed a PhD during the lockdown and sees life as a continuous process of learning.

With decades of experience and many achievements, Allen remains active and optimistic about Nepal’s IT future. He worries, however, about the growing exodus of young people and the shortage of Nepali role models. “We must give more space to success stories achieved here at home,” he says. “Youth need to see that opportunities exist not only abroad but also in Nepal.”

He plans a multimedia project collecting Nepali success stories. He believes life stories are more than records of technical or professional success; they are maps for the next generation. Allen, who planted seeds of technology on Nepali soil, nurtured the Nepali language and identity in the digital world, and created opportunities for hundreds, hopes the next generation will follow and brighten the sector further.

 

पछिल्लो अध्यावधिक: साउन २६, २०८२ १४:३८

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