Education and Opportunities in India - Story of Dip Jung Thapa, Co-Founder of Kratikal Tech Ltd.

Mr. Dip Jung Thapa, Co-founder of Kratikal Tech Ltd., one of India’s leading CERT-In Empanelled, AI-driven cybersecurity organizations, shared his experiences with the Embassy of India in Nepal. In the interview, he reflected on how his education and experiences in India shaped his professional journey and played a pivotal role in his path as an entrepreneur. The interview is presented below:

Q: You grew up in Nepal and later pursued your schooling and engineering in India. How did this journey shape your personal and professional outlook?

Dip Jung Thapa: I grew up in Khotang, a remote district in Nepal. When insurgency in the region shut down my school, my family sent me to India to continue my education in a boarding school in a place called Mal Bazar, around 60 kms east of Siliguri. It was not a carefully planned move, but a necessary one that changed the course of my life.

Studying in India exposed me to people from different regions, cultures, and backgrounds. I had to adapt quickly, rebuild my support system, and learn to navigate an unfamiliar environment. Those experiences taught me resilience and adaptability at an early stage.

Those qualities have stayed with me throughout my career, from studying at MNNIT Allahabad to building a company from the ground up. Looking back, that transition taught me that while circumstances are often beyond our control, the way we respond to them shapes our future.

Q: You completed your engineering from MNNIT Allahabad. How did your experience there shape your personal and entrepreneurial outlook?

Dip Jung Thapa: MNNIT Allahabad gave me much more than an engineering education. Being surrounded by some of the brightest students from across India was the best thing that happened, as they say one is an average of the company they keep, I had an amazing and inspiring group of friends in the college which kept on challenging me and pushing me out of my comfort zone. 

While the academic environment strengthened my technical foundation, outside the classroom, I was actively involved in organizing and looking for sponsorships for the college's cultural and technical festivals. I was fortunate to be chosen to start the entrepreneurship cell in MNNIT along with my friend Pavan. Those experiences taught me practical skills in leadership, teamwork, planning, and execution, while also giving me opportunities to interact with entrepreneurial communities in India and abroad. Most importantly, MNNIT is where I met Pavan Kushwaha and Paratosh Bansal, with whom I co-founded Kratikal in our third semester.

Q: Kratikal Tech became the first company co-founded by a Nepali entrepreneur to be listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange. What inspired you to start this journey?

Dip Jung Thapa: Kratikal started from a simple realization during our time at MNNIT Allahabad. Pavan, my friend and co-founder experienced an email compromise when we were in our third semester, we looked into the incident and saw how easily human error could create serious cybersecurity risks. Around the same time, we attended an ethical hacking workshop, which made us realize there was a significant gap in cybersecurity awareness.

We began conducting workshops at colleges across Allahabad, initially to share knowledge which later we registered as a company in our second year. I got an opportunity to join Paytm as a campus placement, after spending about an year and a half at Paytm, in January of 2017 I decided to pursue Kratikal Tech full-time with Pavan and Paratosh. Together, we transformed those early efforts into Kratikal, expanding from awareness programs into cybersecurity products and services, with Threatcop becoming our flagship platform.

Becoming the first company co-founded by a Nepali entrepreneur to be listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange was never the objective when we started. Our focus was always on solving real cybersecurity challenges for customers. While building the business consistently over the years, the listing was simply a next step in raising funds for global expansion and product development.

Q: India has emerged as one of the world's fastest-growing startup ecosystems. In what ways did India's economic growth, innovation ecosystem, and business environment create opportunities that enabled you to build and scale Kratikal Tech?

Dip Jung Thapa: The sheer scale and momentum of India's digital transformation provided the perfect backdrop for launching a cybersecurity venture. This massive, evolving market allowed us to iterate on our products and learn directly from a diverse customer base, establishing a solid foundation before we looked toward global expansion.

Government initiatives were also instrumental in our growth. Our incubation through TCOE India, in partnership with the Department of Telecommunications, along with recognition from Startup India, provided critical support. The financial and network assistance we received for product development during those formative years gave us the necessary runway to prioritize innovation when our resources were most constrained.

Furthermore, the current business climate in India actively champions homegrown tech firms in vital sectors like cybersecurity. This supportive environment, coupled with robust international trade links, positioned India as more than just a starting point for Kratikal; it became a powerful launchpad for our entry into the global marketplace.

Q: What opportunities does India offer today to students who want to build successful careers or startups? How can students from Nepal make the most of these opportunities?

Dip Jung Thapa: For students from Nepal, there are many ways to get to premium Indian educational institutes. One such is the DASA scheme through which I got an opportunity to get to MNNIT Allahabad, DASA is a phenomenal gateway into India's premier engineering colleges, such as the NITs, bypassing the traditional entrance exam route.

There are many other schemes like Study in India (SII) Portal, ICCR Scholarship Schemes and others. In a larger sense, India provides unparalleled access to elite education, a thriving entrepreneurial scene, and a premier global tech market. I often share with my juniors in Nepal that a degree is only the beginning. The real value lies in cultivating professional networks, gaining hands-on experience, and fully immersing oneself in the entrepreneurial energy that defines the Indian ecosystem.

Q: Looking back on your journey, from your upbringing in Nepal to becoming a successful entrepreneur, what message would you like to share with young students in Nepal who are considering higher education in India?

Dip Jung Thapa: Reflecting on my path from a remote area of Nepal to founding a business in India, I am convinced that being in the right environment can exponentially broaden your horizons. However, a lot of it depends on a willingness to exert effort and capitalize on every available opportunity and resources.

For the youth of Nepal, India represents far more than just academic excellence; it is a hub for top-tier talent, mentorship, and industrial scale that is rarely found elsewhere. I encourage students to view their time in India as an opportunity to build lasting careers, forge significant professional bonds, and lay the groundwork for their own future enterprises.