A Bhutan tech primer: early signs of startups and e-commerce

In our initial Bhutan tech overview, I provided a brief summary of the country, its unique circumstances, and its increasing openness to technology and startups. In this second article, I’ve reached out to the COO of Thimphu TechPark (pictured above), Tshering Dorji, and several others for an on-the-ground analysis of the Bhutanese tech scene.

Dorji has been with Thimphu TechPark since it opened in May 2012, and prior to that, worked at Bhutan Telecom, where he witnessed the country’s explosive internet and mobile growth firsthand.

In the 14 years since the Bhutanese government first allowed internet access, “people took to the internet almost like a fish to water,” he said.

Now that most subscribers have broadband connections, the popular applications are Facebook, online discussion forums, Twitter, news sites and blogs – not to mention the porn sites.

Regarding mobile, Dorji said that 3G coverage is available throughout Bhutan, including “some of the most remote villages” in the country. “In fact, foreigners are often surprised that there is mobile coverage even on the mountains and deep valleys of Bhutan,” he added.

A startup white elephant?

Back at the tech park, however, a January article in The Bhutanese newspaper claimed that the development was a “white elephant” and a waste of taxpayer dollars invested in the project. Few firms had come forward to rent space within the tech park besides the Bhutan Innovation and Technology Centre’s startup incubator. In that same article, Dorji was quoted as saying that “the rent paid by the incubatees isn’t even enough to cover the electricity bills.”

Thunder Motors’ electric car is designed and assembled in Bhutan.

Still, he believes in the long-term viability of the tech park, and referred to several incubated companies making huge strides in Bhutan, in both hardware and software.

“Thunder Motors is one of our graduates, working in the electric vehicle sector, and they recently received funding from a big business group in Bhutan,” Dorji said.

While the components of Thunder Motors’ cars (pictured) were sourced from Germany, Japan, and China, the software development and final assembly took place in Bhutan.

Thunder Motors sold several of its vehicles to the Thimphu City Corporation (TCC) and the National Environment Commission for 600,000 Bhutanese Ngultrum ($8,856) each. There are nine charging stations set up at Thimphu TechPark, and plans are in the works to establish stations throughout Bhutan. Thunder Motors is looking even further afield, as it also plans to export electric vehicles to India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.

Early signs of Bhutanese e-commerce

Leaning in to China

Lessons from China’s and India’s dealings with the web?