Gokarna Raj Awasthi has been appointed Editor-in-Chief of Kantipur Daily. Awasthi brings to the role more than two decades of experience spanning journalism, economic analysis, development practice, and academia.

Awasthi returns to Kantipur, having previously served as business editor at the paper, a role in which he was instrumental in shaping economic journalism and broadening public discourse on Nepal’s economy. Most recently, he was the Director General of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Nepal’s largest private sector body, where he led efforts to advance the country’s economic development with the business community.

Awasthi’s career has taken him across sectors with an unusual range. As SDG Adviser at the United Nations in Nepal, he worked on the mainstreaming and localisation of the Sustainable Development Goals. As President of the Society of Economic Journalists-Nepal (SEJON), he helped transform the organisation into a platform for policy dialogue and journalist capacity-building. He has also served as a Board Director of the Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON) and as an academic, teaching MBA students courses on the Nepali business environment and international business practices.

“I have spent years working at the intersection of economics, policy, and public life, and journalism has always been the thread running through all of it,” Awasthi said. “Coming back to Kantipur, where I began much of that work, feels like coming full circle. My goal is to bring everything I have learned across those worlds into the service of this newsroom.”

Awasthi’s appointment follows the departure of Umesh Chauhan, who served as Editor-in-Chief of Kantipur Daily since May 2023. Following his departure, Kantipur made an open call for applications for the role, for which it received 17 applications. Awasthi was selected from a pool of three finalists. He will officially start his role on May 5.

“What excites me about Gokarna is that he understands power in Nepal –how it moves, who holds it, and how journalism can speak to it,” said Anup Kaphle, Group Editorial Director for KMG. “His experience across the private sector, the UN, and editorial coverage of business and economy gives him a vantage point that very few editors in this country have. I’m confident that Kantipur’s readers will feel that difference.”

Awasthi holds a Master’s degree in Business Studies from Tribhuvan University, a Diploma in Development Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication in New Delhi, and is currently a PhD scholar at Kathmandu University, with research focused on political economy.