The New "Cloud License" in Nepal: Decoding the 2081 Directives

If you are running a server rack in Putalisadak or selling "unlimited" hosting on Facebook, the "Wild West" days are officially over. The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MoCIT) has introduced the Data Center and Cloud Service (Operation and Management) Directives, 2081.

For years, anyone with a credit card and a WHMCS license could call themselves a "Cloud Provider." Now, the government is drawing a hard line. Here is the plain-English breakdown of what has changed and why it matters for your business.

1. Mandatory Registration (No Exceptions)

The days of flying under the radar are gone. The directive explicitly mandates that any entity operating a Data Center (DC) or providing Cloud Services must register with the Department of Information Technology (DOIT).

• Who needs this? If you own infrastructure or operate a cloud platform.
• The Deadline: Existing providers (operating before Magh 2081) were given a 6-month window to comply.
• The Risk: The DOIT has the authority to "de-list" non-compliant providers, effectively shutting them down.

2. The "Tier 3" Barrier for Government Contracts

This is the biggest shake-up for smaller local hosts. The directive states that if you want to host any government data, your facility must be at least Tier 3 certified.

What does Tier 3 mean?

• 99.982% Availability.
• N+1 Redundancy (Backup power/cooling that kicks in instantly).
• No shutdowns for maintenance.

Analysis: This effectively consolidates government contracts to major players like the GIDC or large private telcos. Small "server room" ISPs are now locked out of public sector bids.

3. The New "Cost of Doing Business"

For CTOs and System Admins, your workload just increased.

4. Are Resellers Affected?

This is the most common question we get. If you just resell DigitalOcean or AWS and bill clients in NPR, do you need a license?

The directive defines "Cloud Service" broadly, but the primary focus is on those who operate and manage infrastructure. However, if you offer "Managed Cloud" with root access, you fall into a grey area. We recommend consulting a lawyer.

Final Verdict

The Directives 2081 are a necessary step to mature Nepal's digital ecosystem. While it increases costs for providers, it ensures that "Cloud" in Nepal finally means reliability.