For years, Nepal’s development discourse has repeatedly highlighted the potential of Nepali youth and the country’s aspiration to emerge as a digital hub. Political leaders often invoke the image of young Nepali earning in lakhs with “just a laptop.” Most recently, Finance Minister Rameshwore Khanal reiterated and supported the narrative again by stating that it is somehow true that a Nepali youth can earn up to three lakhs per month by “sitting on Chobhar ko danda with a laptop.” As a development practitioner engaged in digital literacy initiatives, this recurring assertion compels me to reflect more critically. While such earnings can become a reality for a small segment of digitally skilled youth, the more pressing question is how representative this is of Nepal’s broader youth population. At a time when youth unemployment, large-scale migration, and accelerating brain drain continue to define the country’s economic reality, it is essential to ask how and under what conditions this vision can realistically be achieved.
Pressing concerns
Nepal’s economic growth has long been characterized by unequal distribution, low productivity, and limited job creation. Stark disparities persist between provinces and districts, urban and rural areas, socio-economic groups, and critically between women and men. Many young people, especially young women, remain unable to realize their full potential due to multiple and overlapping deprivations in education, skills, access to finance, and opportunities.
One of Nepal’s most pressing challenges is absorbing its rapidly growing working-age population into productive employment. Youth under 30 comprise more than half of the population, with hundreds of thousands entering the labour market each year. Yet youth unemployment remains several times higher than the national average. The burden falls disproportionately on young women, who face higher unemployment, limited mobility, unpaid care responsibilities, and restricted access to skills and networks.
Changing perspectives and optimism
What was once considered luxury, a laptop, a smartphone, and a reliable internet connection is now a lived reality for a growing number of Nepali youth. From software development and graphic design to digital marketing, online tutoring, freelancing, and remote IT services, young professionals are increasingly working for international clients from the major cities and even from rural municipalities. The mindset has shifted now, earlier, one needed income to buy gadgets; today, gadgets themselves enable income. Yet, this emerging digital success story might be of few youths but a harsher national reality is different.
The post-COVID world has further accelerated this transition. Remote work is no longer an exception; it is becoming the norm. Nepali youth returning from countries such as Australia and the Gulf are choosing to work online from home, while many professionals now operate globally without geographic constraints. This moment presents Nepal with a rare opportunity to convert its demographic pressure into a digital dividend.
However, optimism alone will not bridge the gap.
Inclusion and digital economy
The digital economy is not automatically inclusive. Nepal continues to face a deep digital divide. Reliable and affordable internet connectivity remains uneven, particularly outside major urban centers. Digital literacy is another major constraint, affecting not only employment prospects but also education, healthcare access, and household financial management. Without targeted interventions, the digital economy risks reinforcing existing inequalities rather than reducing them.
This is where the role of civil society, the private sector, and development partners becomes critical.
Pathways for a youth-focused digital economy
If Nepal is serious about turning “Chobhar ko danda” into a nationwide reality, pathways must be intentionally built. Young people must feel valued, need to break that youth are not as passive job seekers, but as active contributors to economic transformation. Inclusive initiatives are needed to equip young women and men with relevant digital skills, practical experience, and access to professional networks.
This means creating safe and inclusive spaces for underrepresented youth and women, increasing access and participation, and engaging meaningfully in policy dialogue. It requires fostering innovation, promoting capacity development, and strengthening networks that connect youth with productive sectors. Access to finance, particularly for digital entrepreneurs must be expanded, along with mentorship and business advisory services that help young enterprises grow and compete.
Concrete models already point the way forward, programs that match demand and supply of digital skills; digital entrepreneurship capacity-building initiatives; business advisory services focused on digital transformation; structured digital mentorship for young entrepreneurs; and digital internship programs especially for targeted youth to build confidence, experience, and employability.
The digital economy is not a silver bullet. It will not solve all of Nepal’s employment challenges overnight. But it can be one of the few sectors where geography matters less, capital requirements are relatively low, and youth can compete globally on skill and creativity rather than connections.
“Chobhar ko danda with a laptop” should not be read as a literal promise, nor dismissed as political rhetoric. Instead, it should serve as a metaphor, a strong reminder that Nepal’s future growth will depend not on where our youth sit, but on whether we invest seriously in their skills, connectivity, and opportunities.
