Mr. Gautam is a Graduate of BSc. (Hons) Networking and IT Security from London Metropolitan University. He is an evidence-based policymaking and civic technologies enthusiast. Mr. Gautam is a very active contributor to Internet Governance in the Asia Pacific Region and he works in the periphery of open data, Internet Governance, Data Analytics, Research, and Rural Technologies deployment.
He works as a Program and Policy Officer at Internet Governance Institute (Lead host for APrIGF 2021) which is an initiative established for strengthening Internet Governance at the grass-root level through research, capacity building, awareness, debates, and policy intervention across the Asia Pacific. In addition to that he also works with government and non-governmental agencies as an ICT consultant.
He is an active member of the Internet Society Nepal Chapter and was part of the 2020 chapters training program on “Building Community Networks”. Mr. Gautam is a fellow of the first-ever NpSIG 2018 and has been actively involved and contributing to the internet governance ecosystem in Nepal and the Asia Pacific Region. He has represented in APRICOT 2018, InSIG 2019, Asia Pacific Community Network Exchange as a fellow. He has contributed as an organizing committee member in Nepal IGF. He is also actively involved in capacity building and encouraging youth involvement in Internet Governance. Mr. Gautam is also selected as Next-Gen Fellow for ICANN 68. He is a Diplo alumnus, NetMission Ambassador, and represents APrIGF as an MSG, Election Committee, and Virtual Conference Working Group Member.
Mr. Gautam is passionate in the areas of Access and empowerment, the role of community networks in the developing world to connect the unconnected, Data-driven policy-making, Youth empowerment in Internet governance, Cybersecurity prospects, and emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence. He also writes about the emerging issues in Internet Governance such as Community Networks, Freedom of expression, and Artificial Intelligence.
As a consultant, he works in the periphery of Open data and Evidence-based Policy Making. He is closely working with the local government of the remote rural municipality of Nepal and providing his technical expertise to decrease the digital divide.