CNN features Nepali youth entrepreneur

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Sept. 8: Ashutoush Rajbhandari, a Nepali entrepreneur currently involved in a US merchant banking firm was a guest on internationally renowned television CNN’s Biz Asia programme, August 6, 2000. This is the first time that a Nepal born business entrepreneur was featured by CNN.

Talking to CNN Rajbhandari, 42, who is a partner at Thomas Weisel Partners in San Francisco, California, remarked that technology investments will provide the underpinnings for the economic growth of the US over the next five years.

Ninety per cent of growth in the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the US is likely to be generated by technology related businesses like Internet, he added.

Pointing to the fast growing computer technology in the Asian continent he noted fifty per cent establishments in the Silicon Valley are either founded or owned by Asians, mainly Indians and Chinese.

Rajbhandari is optimistic that the major thesis of technology driven economic growth will hold as true for Asia as it has and will for the United States. Speaking on the economic prospects of Nepal, he pointed to the success of India in the field of software in particular, and expressed hope that the admirable success of our neighbouring country will have a carryover effect in this Himalayan Kingdom.

Thomas Weisel Partners established in 1999 with 66 partners and over seven hundred employees is a $5.5 billion company.

Rajbhandari, who is on his way to a 3 week European visit to research technology companies in Europe, hopes to return to his home in Kathmandu in a fortnight to celebrate Dashain with his family.

Training for unemployed women opens

Kirtipur, Sept. 8 (RSS): Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Keshav Sthapit recently inaugurated the skill-oriented training programme organised by the Himali Women Club for the unemployed men and women at Swayambhu to mark the auspicious golden jubilee birthday of Her Majesty the Queen.

On the occasion, Mayor Sthapit said that the development of the country had not taken place.

Mr. Sthapit suggested that development programmes should be launched on the basis of locally available means and resources.

Secretary of the Club Dipak Sharma said that the Himali Women Club had been running skill-oriented training programme free of cost at different places of the country.

Bramhakumari Deepa of Bramhakumari Rajyog Centre stressed the need to develop spiritual knowledge and utilise time by understanding the importance of life.

Senior poet Shyam Das Baishnav expressed the view that development cannot take place with the attitude of only serving others.

At the function chaired by Meera Kunawar, the Club’s president Mrs. Uma Shrestha informed that the club has plans of running such training programmes in the remote areas.