Adhikari steps up as acting president of CAN Federation

Kathmandu, May 24

Senior Vice-President of the Federation of Computer Association Nepal (CAN Federation) Chiranjibi Adhikari has officially stepped up as the acting president to serve out the remainder of the executive term.

Following the resignation of Sunaina Ghimire Pandey, who made history as the first female president of the federation, from her post citing personal reasons, Adhikari has assumed the leadership of the umbrella body of Nepal’s information and communication technology sector.

Adhikari is a cybersecurity expert and is in the field for more than two decades. He was elected unanimously as the Senior VP of the CAN Federation. He has made contributions in corporate leadership, domestic policy advocacy, grassroots public education, and higher academia.

He is a founder president of npCert, an information security response team in Nepal, founder president of Centre for Cybersecurity Research and Innovation, CEO of Once Cover Pvt. Ltd., associate director of TechPaaila Innovation, and Cybersecurity Advisor for the IT Committee of the Nepal Chamber of Commerce.

Likewise, Adhikari has personally conducted more than 500 cybersecurity awareness programmes across Nepal. These strategic campaigns have educated community schools, rural government agencies, and corporate businesses on digital hygiene and secure network practices.

He said that during his leadership, the CAN Federation will push for national policy prioritization to secure locally produced software through 'Nepal made software campaign', and advocate for dedicated tax incentives, land allocations and building premises within technology hubs like the IT park for local tech startups.

Similarly, he aims to drive the implementation of updated software procurement guidelines and fostering new avenues for software product financing.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 25 May 2026.