The small-scale hydro sector for energy access in Nepal has achieved immense success over the last fifty years, with over 3000 communities electrified using mostly localized technology. Amidst new challenges and opportunities, policy, technology, and institutional solutions continue to emerge from Nepal’s long committed and experienced ecosystem of stakeholders.
Such a vibrant, living localized sector in Nepal has been made possible thanks to the pioneers who sacrificed professionally and personally to advance the sector as a whole. One such early pioneer of micro and mini hydro development in Nepal is the late Mr. Shyam Raj Pradhan, the founder of Nepal Yantra Shala Energy (NYSE), now the leading small-scale hydro manufacturer and service provider in Nepal and in South Asia, serving the sector globally.
Such a vibrant, living localized sector in Nepal has been made possible thanks to the pioneers who sacrificed professionally and personally to advance the sector as a whole. One such early pioneer of micro and mini hydro development in Nepal is the late Mr. Shyam Raj Pradhan, the founder of Nepal Yantra Shala Energy (NYSE), now the leading small-scale hydro manufacturer and service provider in Nepal and in South Asia, serving the sector globally.
 Mr. Shyam Raj Pradhan at Balaju Yantra Shala. Credit: Video Biography of Shyram Raj Pradhan |  In the 1980s, Mr. Pradhan electrified remote communities in the foothills of the Nepali Himalayas. Credit: Credit: Video Biography of Shyram Raj Pradhan |
 Projects areas of NYSE. Credit: Video Biography of Shyram Raj Pradhan |  Mr. Pradhan inspecting a Pelton runner. Credit: Credit: Video Biography of Shyram Raj Pradhan |
To honor Mr. Pradhan’s legacy, NYSE has released a biography in the format of both a book and a video-biography capturing his inspiring journey to becoming a gifted engineer and leading social entrepreneur. Among the highlights presented in the video-biography, using historic visuals from the years of 1937 until 2014, include:
- Overcoming challenging socio-economic conditions in his youth [5:11]
- Making the most of educational and other learning opportunities [7:14]
- Joining the Swiss Association for Technical Assistance (SATA) in 1958, and becoming the chief of engineering at Balaju Yantra Shala (BYS), one of the key enterprises that led to developing Nepal’s ecosystem of local experts [8:17]
- Developing the earliest multi-use hydropower innovations, including in 1962 Nepal’s first micro hydro project installed to innovatively feed fish in the Godawari pond [10:59]
- Excelling at BYS, leading to a 2-year opportunity in 1964 to learn advanced mini hydro and hydraulic ram pump technology in Switzerland, and return to Nepal committed long-term to small-scale hydro [11:48]
- Finding his life partner, Mrs. Baba Pradhan, who played a vital role in developing NYSE while raising their two young children, as the family became fully committed to small-scale hydro [13:23]
- Establishing his first manufacturing workshop, supplying hydropower and productive end use equipment for agri-processing, papermaking, and other rural industry [14:58]
- Building the capacity of villagers and youth who wanted to learn hydropower design, and impact of the Agriculture Development Bank in scaling up installations [17:03]
- Committing to high quality standards, including innovating different types and capacities of turbine designs to generate higher efficiencies [23:36]
- Developing a legacy through his sons and the many persons he has trained to ensure Nepal was self-reliant in terms of small-scale hydropower knowhow [25:56]
Mr. Bikram Pradhan and Dr. Suman Raj Pradhan, sons of Mr. Shyam Raj Pradhan, held a launch ceremony for the biography in May 2022. The event was attended by various experts of Nepal’s small-scale hydro sector, including:
- Dr. Narayan Adhikari, Director of Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC)
- Dr. Govinda Pokhrel and Shree Krishna Updhaya, Ex Vice Chair-person and Ex Members of the National Planning Commission
- Dr. Ram Prasad Dhital, Commissioner of the Nepal Electricity Regulatory Commission and former Executive Director of the AEPC
- Mr. Vishwa Bhushan Amatya, small-scale hydro and energy access expert, and Board Member of the Hydro Empowerment Network (HPNET)
- Surendra Mathema and other members of the Nepal Micro Hydro Development Association (NMHDA)
- Dr. Prachanda Pradhan, the scholar individual who initiated the biography.
Images and a video of the launch ceremony can be found here. The event was also mentioned in this news article (in Nepali language). The video-biography is accessible here:
