Nepali telecom expert Anandaraj Khanal named head of ITU's South Asia regional office

Nepali telecom expert Anandaraj Khanal has been appointed head of the South Asia regional office of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau appointed him to head the regional office and Innovation Centre, based in New Delhi. Khanal has taken charge of the new post since Asoj 15.

The office, part of the United Nations' ITU, covers eight countries: India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Afghanistan and Iran. Opened in cooperation with the Government of India, the office began operations in March 2023. It has been supporting digital transformation, infrastructure development, capacity building and innovation.

Khanal has more than three decades of experience in telecom regulation, public policy, cybersecurity and digital infrastructure. He retired as a senior director of the Nepal Telecommunications Authority. He served in senior leadership positions at the authority for more than 15 years.