Jhapa's 12-Year-Old IT Company Competing with Kathmandu

 

Kathmandu: Roshan Budhathoki is a strong example of how skill and competence, not necessarily a formal academic degree, can lead to professional success. Although he doesn’t hold a technical degree, the IT company he founded, Crystal Solution, is now competing with Kathmandu-based firms and steadily expanding across Nepal.

Budhathoki founded the company 12 years ago, driven by a long-standing passion for technology. After completing his SLC in 2059 BS, he found himself with free time and decided to learn computers. That experience sparked a fascination with the field and set the course for his future.

However, pursuing formal education in IT was not easy. Jhapa lacked IT colleges, and his financial situation made moving to Kathmandu unfeasible. So, he continued his education in the Faculty of Management instead.

While studying for his bachelor’s degree, Budhathoki began teaching math at a primary school in Jhapa. His interest in computers remained intact. When the computer teacher at the school left, he was given the opportunity to take over. That hands-on experience further fueled his enthusiasm. He also grew close to students and teachers from Gomendra College’s BCA program, located nearby.

“During lunch breaks, I’d sit in the canteen and learn about programming from my BCA friends. Sometimes I even got to sit in on their classes,” he recalls. “I did think about switching from BBS to BTech, but when I saw how my friends struggled to apply what they learned in class, I stuck with BBS.” Around that time, he and a friend, Tikaram Khatiwada, built a simple inventory app for a school.

Budhathoki later went to London in 2009 to pursue an MBA. While studying, he worked as a freelance programmer, continually refining his skills. Tikaram, who was in Dubai, continued collaborating with him on developing and upgrading e-commerce websites.

After completing his MBA in three years, Budhathoki returned to Jhapa in 2070 BS. “When I came back, I thought I’d either join an IT company or open my own office,” he says. But with limited savings having prioritized his studies he wasn’t sure how to invest. Around that time, he reconnected with Dilip Rajbanshi, a former colleague from his school-teaching days.

Dilip, who was then studying at Niva Management and IT College, informed him that the college needed a Java instructor for a four-day workshop. Budhathoki got the opportunity to lead the session, teaching students how to build applications with Java. That workshop eventually led to a more permanent teaching role.

While teaching, Budhathoki registered Crystal Software and Web Development, focusing on school management software. He was joined by Dilip Rajbanshi, Prajjwal Rai, Arjun Chaudhary, Anjal Kafle, and later Raju Poudel. None of them were over 25, and raising capital was a challenge. They pooled together NPR 95,000, two friends borrowed NPR 45,000, and Roshan took NPR 50,000 from his mother’s microfinance account.

Running the company, however, was not easy. In its early days, selling school management software and mobile apps proved difficult. “We tried offering mobile apps to schools, but most didn’t see the need for one. Internet access was poor, making it hard to demonstrate the utility,” he says. The first sale came from a school in his neighborhood.

Despite launching the business, there was little revenue. For the first five years, Budhathoki sustained the company using his income from college teaching. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Crystal Solutions (renamed from Crystal Software and Web Development) had over 100 clients. But during the lockdown, the number dropped below 20, as many schools couldn’t conduct online classes and operations were disrupted.

Budhathoki then left his teaching job and focused entirely on the company. That decision paid off, the business saw more growth in the next two years than in the previous eight. For the past three years, he has run the company solo. Based in Birtamod, Jhapa, Crystal Solutions now provides software development, mobile app creation, website design, bulk SMS, and ERP systems for schools, colleges, hotels, restaurants, and businesses.

The company currently serves over 200 clients, including private schools, colleges, and rural municipalities. It employs 10 staff members and also works with five marketing partners.

Crystal Solutions has expanded to nearly every district in Koshi Province and has begun operations in Madhesh and Bagmati Provinces through marketing agents. With Jhapa’s proximity to India, Budhathoki is also exploring cross-border opportunities.

He believes formal degrees aren't the sole measure of ability. At Crystal, hiring is based on skill and passion rather than academic credentials. With over 160 IT graduates emerging from Birtamod each year, the lack of local IT companies limits internship opportunities. To address this, Crystal Solutions offers four internship rounds annually, training students to become productive professionals.

Budhathoki never considered relocating to Kathmandu, citing his responsibilities toward his family and community. Initially, finding skilled employees outside the capital was a challenge, but with the rise of local IT colleges, that gap is closing. Today, he confidently competes with companies in Kathmandu while staying rooted in Jhapa.

“Sometimes companies in Kathmandu replace our services. And sometimes, we replace theirs,” Budhathoki says, adding that his company wins client trust not through location, but through capability.

 

पछिल्लो अध्यावधिक: साउन २१, २०८२ ११:२४

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