KATHMANDU, MAY 10 Nepal is set to develop its first Tier IV hyperscale data center, a move aimed at strengthening the country's digital infrastructure, data security and technological self-reliance. Bichuten Data Vault (BDV), a Nepal-based private company, has announced plans to construct the high-standard facility at two locations-Kathmandu and Birgunj. The project is expected to position Nepal as a reliable digital hub in South Asia. The data center will meet Tier IV certification standards, ensuring up to 99.995 percent uptime, which translates to less than 26 minutes of annual downtime. Such reliability is considered crucial for sensitive sectors including banking and telecommunications. According to the company, the project will begin with a capacity of 240 kilowatts and is planned to expand to 5 megawatts by 2030. BDV has also entered into partnerships with international technology firms such as VVDN Technologies, Google Cloud, AMD and Micron for technical expertise and infrastructure development. The initiative is being led by Nepali entrepreneurs Naveen Agrawal, Min Agrawal, Anuj Keyal, Vishal Kumar Jatia and Sharad Goel. The promoters say the project aims to ensure 'in-country data residency,' allowing Nepal's data to be stored within the country, thereby reducing reliance on foreign servers and enhancing cybersecurity. Officials involved in the project say the data center will also contribute to employment generation in the information technology and engineering sectors, with a long-term vision of manufacturing digital devices such as servers, laptops and tablets within Nepal. The facility is planned to run on hydropower, aligning with efforts to promote energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable infrastructure. Despite growing demand for digital services, Nepal currently lacks high-tier data center infrastructure, with most data hosting and cloud services dependent on servers located abroad. Bichuten Data Vault said its broader objective is to support Nepal's digital transformation while building a secure and self-reliant digital ecosystem.