February 19: Bhupendra Bhandari has been appointed as the Chairman of the Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA). The Cabinet meeting on Sunday decided to appoint Bhandari as the head of the telecom sector regulatory body.

Bhandari's selection as the chairman came on the recommendation of Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Rekha Sharma. His prior role as an advisor to Minister Sharma positioned him as a leading candidate for the top position at the NTA.

Among a pool of 25 applicants, Bhandari emerged as the successful candidate for the Chairman's role after the resignation of Purushottam Khanal. Following Khanal's departure, a committee led by Secretary Ramakrishna Subedi was tasked with recommending a suitable candidate to lead the regulatory body.

Bhandari's professional background includes serving as an advisor to the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology since July 2023. Hailing from the Dang district, Bhandari brings a wealth of experience, having previously held roles such as CEO of Smart Mobile Burundi for eight years, Intergroup Telecom Limited for 14 months, and chairman of Pay Nep Pvt Ltd for approximately six years.