Dr. Madhusudan Adhikari was born on November 24, 1967, in Dhampus, a scenic village in Kaski district of the Gandaki Zone, Nepal. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, India, in 1992. He earned his first MBA from Tribhuvan University in 1995, followed by a second MBA from Maastricht School of Management in the Netherlands in 2003. In 2010, he completed an MPhil from the School of Management at Kathmandu University, and in August 2021, he was awarded a Ph.D. in Energy Management from the Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University.
Dr. Adhikari possesses extensive expertise in hydropower and renewable energy policy. He has more than 30 years of national and international experience in hydropower development, rural electrification, and renewable energy.
He began his professional career in rural electrification in 1992 as a Micro Hydropower Project Engineer at Development and Consultancy Services, Butwal, with support from the United Mission to Nepal. He continued in this role until 1996. From 1996 to 2006, he served as the Manager of the Engineering Project Management Department at Nepal Hydro Electric (NHE) Ltd., a subsidiary of Butwal Power Company Ltd. During this period, he led projects such as Puwa Khola (6.5 MW), Khimti (60 MW), Modi Khola (14.8 MW), Chilime (22 MW), Kali Gandaki (144 MW), and Middle Marsyangdi (70 MW), representing the respective companies during their development.
From 2006 to 2012, he managed the Solar Energy Component of the Energy Sector Assistance Programme, a joint initiative of the Government of Nepal and the Governments of Denmark and Norway. Under his leadership, solar energy access was extended to over 700,000 households across Nepal.
Between 2012 and July 2015, Dr. Adhikari served as the National Advisor for the Community Electrification Component of the National Rural and Renewable Energy Programme (NRREP), supported by the Government of Nepal and international donors. During this tenure, he contributed to the completion of around 1,000 small and micro hydropower projects for rural electrification. From 2015 to 2016, he coordinated the overall operation of the NRREP and led institutional reforms of the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) and the renewable energy sector as the National Advisor.
In early 2016, he briefly served as a Senior Renewable Energy Specialist at the Asian Development Bank’s Nepal Resident Mission. From May 2016 to February 2019, Dr. Adhikari worked as an International Consultant for the World Bank’s National Electrification Project in Myanmar. He played a key role in installing solar systems in over 200,000 households and 50,000 institutions.
From February 6, 2019, to February 2023, Dr. Adhikari served as the Executive Director of the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC), Government of Nepal. In recognition of his leadership and achievements at AEPC, the Government of Nepal honored him with the prestigious Suprasiddha Janasewa Shree award.
An expert in Energy Financing as well, Dr. Adhikari has served as the Chairperson of NMB Microfinance Institution Ltd. and as a board member of the Nepal Energy Foundation. He currently serves as a Member of the Electricity Regulatory Commission (ERC) of Nepal.
Dr. Adhikari has made significant contributions in the areas of energy policy-making, management, and leadership. He has published several research papers on electricity and energy in national and international journals. He has visited over 35 countries, including the USA, UK, European nations, and Japan. With a strong interest in academics and research, Dr. Adhikari is also involved in teaching at the postgraduate level at Kathmandu University’s School of Management. He has authored numerous technical papers, articles, interviews, and audiovisual materials on hydropower development, rural electrification, and renewable energy in both national and international platforms.
