Jagdish Kharel

Speaker at the St. Gallen Symposium

Jagdish Kharel served as Minister of Communication and Information Technology and Spokesperson of the Government of Nepal until January 2026. In this role, he focused on strengthening reliable public communication, improving digital access and connectivity, and fostering transparent coordination between state institutions, media, and citizens during a period of national transition. Prior to entering government, he spent more than 20 years in Nepali media across radio, television, and digital platforms, most recently as Editor-in-Chief and Executive Producer at Image Channel within Image Group. There, he led national broadcast and digital coverage, hosted the political interview program Hot Seat, and mentored journalists during major national crises. Jagdish Kharel holds a Master’s degree in Mass Communication from Tribhuvan University and is pursuing a PhD in International Relations and Diplomacy at the same institution.