Buddha Air owner Birendra Bahadur Basnet’s new political outfit, the Gatisheel Loktantrik Party (dynamic democratic party), has unveiled an ambitious manifesto that promises to create three million high-paying jobs and attract five million tourists within the next decade through what it calls a blend of “good governance, proper planning, and strategic investment.”

On Thursday, at the party’s first public event in Bhairahawa—symbolically chosen as the birthplace of the Buddha and home to the idle Rs40-billion Gautam Buddha International Airport—the leadership outlined ‘Vision 2035’, a blueprint that ties Nepal’s economic revival to three key sectors: tourism, agriculture, and education, particularly information technology.

“Each year, 500,000 young Nepalis enter the labour market, and almost all fail to find work and are compelled to migrate abroad,” said Professor Dinesh Prasai, chairman of the party and a political sociologist. “Generating jobs is essential to prevent social chaos and economic depression. The Gen Alpha is watching Gen Z. If Gen Z cannot deliver, another violent revolution may erupt. That’s our history continuing every decade.”

Basnet, 62, has been named founder of the party. The party has mandated that none of its office bearers will be eligible to contest in elections.

Prasai said the first step towards prosperity is “good governance” and a “corruption-free society.” “The coming government must commit to clean politics and a transparent development path,” he added.

From an airliner to a political pilot

The party’s founder, Basnet, one of Nepal’s most prominent figures in the private sector, built Buddha Air from a single plane into one of South Asia’s most respected domestic carriers. Now, he says, his focus is on “taking the country off the runway of corruption and onto the flight path of progress.”

“We are a visionary group,” Basnet said. “Unlike traditional political parties, we will vet all our candidates through a software-based system that verifies their background and eligibility. Anyone can apply online. We’re not expecting results overnight—it may take years to streamline—but this is the start of a new kind of politics.”

The party distinguishes itself, Basnet said, by being “economically focused, not politically opportunistic.” Development, he added, is its main agenda.

A central component of Vision 2035 is the revival of debt-ridden and corruption-plagued Nepal Airlines Corporation. The party envisions expanding the national carrier’s fleet to 50 aircraft—including Airbus A350-1000 jets—through a public-private partnership model in which the government would retain a 30 percent stake, with the rest owned by the public and institutional investors.

To attract five million tourists annually, Basnet proposes adding five new aircraft each year. “This is not fantasy,” he said. “We have prepared a clear business plan based on study and analysis.”

According to the plan, the first five aircraft will require an investment of Rs25 billion, of which Rs12.60 billion will go towards leasing and Rs12.40 billion for operations. “If there is political will, Nepal Airlines can be reformed within three to six months,” Basnet claimed, adding that Nepal could also be removed from the European Commission’s air safety blacklist within three months.

Basnet said internal studies by Airbus show that Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa has the potential to become a global aviation hub capable of connecting all continents directly, similar to New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport.

“The issue regarding the air entry route with India should be resolved amicably. The neighbour would trust the country where there is good governance.”

He argues that the expansion of air connectivity would catalyse growth in other sectors, including hotels, transport, and agriculture-linked industries.

Former Investment Board Nepal CEO and party central member Radhesh Pant said the aviation expansion plan would have a massive multiplier effect. “To accommodate five million tourists, Nepal will need 75,000 new hotel beds—22,000 of them in Bhairahawa alone,” Pant said. “Overall, it will generate more than three million quality jobs.”

Pant estimated that Nepal would need 3,000 kilometres of new high-quality roads, requiring an additional Rs420 billion in investment.

Rs2.1 trillion tourism investment plan

The party’s vision paper projects a Rs2.1 trillion investment in the tourism sector over the next ten years, which it claims would increase the industry’s contribution to GDP fivefold.

Pant said that after a decade, Nepal could earn Rs840 billion annually from international air ticket sales, while hotels would generate Rs560 billion in revenues. The demand for food would rise by Rs28 billion, requiring an extra 68,850 tonnes of agricultural produce each year to serve the growing number of visitors.

“This will directly connect tourism to agriculture,” Pant explained. “The processing industry will thrive, and farmers will benefit from guaranteed demand.”

Tourism experts associated with the party say Nepal can also position itself as a neutral venue for sports and international events amid growing geopolitical tensions in South Asia.

The central bank reported that in 2024, 1.14 million tourists visited Nepal, bringing in Rs88.66 billion in revenue—a fraction of what the new party envisions by 2035.

During the Bhairahawa event, many local tourism entrepreneurs expressed both excitement and scepticism. They noted that despite heavy investment, the city’s international airport has remained largely unused since its inauguration in May 2022.

“We’ve invested millions expecting international flights that never came,” said one tourism entrepreneur. “So while the presentation sounds visionary, we’ve heard similar promises before.”

Party central member and tourism expert Gyaneshwar Mahato responded to the criticism, saying the new party’s goals were “not dreams, but executable plans.”

“Nepal’s tourism potential has been limited to talk for 75 years,” Mahato said. “Now it’s time to act. When we say Nepal Airlines will have 50 planes, it’s not a fantasy—it’s a carefully calculated target.”

Pant added that Nepal already has trillions of rupees sitting idle in its banking system. “The problem is not a lack of money, but a lack of vision and clarity in planning,” he said.

The party’s core slogan, “Economic Transformation and Good Governance,” underscores its agenda to fuse private-sector discipline with public accountability.

After its Bhairahawa debut, the party plans to organise two significant policy discussions: one in Janakpur, focusing on agricultural challenges and opportunities, and another in Surkhet, where it will unveil an education and development blueprint for Nepal’s provinces.

“As the country navigates post-Gen Z political turbulence and economic uncertainty, my entry into politics is a new experiment. Our party's objective is to convert the business-style plans into political traction, and our entry has already stirred debate over what a “development-first politics” might look like in Nepal,” said Basnet.