Dr Pooja Lepcha, Space Systems Engineer, Division of Telecom and Space, GovTech Bhutan

​​​​​​1. How do you use your role to ensure that technology and policy are truly inclusive?

I work as a satellite systems engineer at the Division of Telecom and Space under the Government Technology Agency of Bhutan.

As the only division responsible for space and satellite-related activities in the country, my work spans satellite systems development, implementation of space applications in collaboration with other agencies in the country, coordination with national and international stakeholders, and overseeing of space-related legal framework requirements while remaining grounded in Bhutan’s social and developmental context.

I also conduct space outreach and educational programs, travelling to remote schools across Bhutan to deliver lectures, spark curiosity in STEM and make these fields accessible to students.

I involve students in the satellite development projects to give them hands-on experience and a sense of involvement in Bhutan’s growing space sector.

For me, inclusive technology is about access, participation, and building national capacity. 

2. What’s a moment in your career when you saw firsthand how technology or a new policy changed a citizen’s life for the better?

Roughly about half the population of Bhutan depends on agriculture for their livelihood.

In many rural areas, farming decisions used to heavily rely on traditional knowledge which is becoming increasingly unreliable with changing climate patterns.

Through the application of satellite services such as localized weather forecasts, and early warnings on heavy rainfall shared though government platforms, farmers are now able to plan their agriculture practices. 

This impact is personal for me. My mother, who took up farming after her retirement, shared how she was able to avoid significant paddy losses by harvesting ahead of a predicted heavy rainfall.

When farmers like her saw accurate forecasts, it strengthened their confidence in public services.

This experience made me realise how accessible technology can meaningfully improve lives of people that are most vulnerable to climate uncertainty. 

3. What was the most impactful project you worked on this year, and how did you measure its success in building trust and serving the needs of the public?

Bhutan’s space program has so far launched two small satellites.

The first was a 1 kg CubeSat developed as a student project in Japan, and the second was an 18 kg satellite jointly developed with ISRO in India.

While both were important milestones, they relied heavily on international collaboration. Developing a satellite led entirely by Bhutanese engineers therefore marked a crucial next step.

For me, working in this project with an all-Bhutanese engineering team this year was impacful.

Many team members had no prior experience in satellite development when we began, making capacity building just as important as building the satellite itself.

From the planning stage, our goal was to develop a mission with practical applications that directly serve national needs.

The satellite’s primary mission focuses on high-resolution remote sensing, enabling data that can support public decision-making and improve service delivery.

We measure success through the growth of local technical capability and by ensuring the mission aligns with national priorities and can be meaningfully used by government agencies.

4. What was one unexpected lesson you learned this year about designing for real people? This can be about a specific project or a broader lesson about your work.

One unexpected lesson I learned this year is that designing for real people goes far beyond technical skills.

Being a technical professional myself, I realised that while engineering expertise is essential, it’s equally important to build strong communication, management, and coordination skills.

I found that being able to explain ideas clearly, work across teams, understand legal frameworks, institutional processes and how different stakeholders operate determines whether a technically sound solution can actually be implemented.

5. We hear a lot about AI. What's a practical example of how AI can be used to make government services more inclusive and trustworthy?

Working within the Government Technology Agency, see a practical opportunity for AI in how we use publicly available, non-sensitive data.

By combining datasets from different regions along with inputs from agencies, such as the National Statistics Bureau, AI can help identify patterns in diverse needs of the citizen and the gaps in service delivery allowing government services and facilities to be tailored more effectively to real citizen needs.

Bhutan’s National Digital Identity platform also creates an opportunity to streamline services, making them more personalised, efficient, and accessible, while maintaining strong data governance. When services reflect people’s real needs, confidence in public institutions grows.

At the same time, AI can support government leaders in making data-driven decisions based on historical data from diverse communities, helping build more inclusive and responsive public services.

6. How are you preparing for the next wave of change in the public sector? What new skill, approach, or technology are you most excited to explore in the coming year?

For Bhutan, the next wave of change in the public sector is shaped by the Royal Civil Service Commission’s Strategic Roadmap, which envisions an Enlightened Entrepreneurial Bureaucracy for all civil servants.

I am preparing for this shift by aligning my work and mindset to think more entrepreneurially, moving beyond routine processes to focus on innovation, ownership, and outcomes that genuinely improve citizens’ lives.

I am particularly motivated by the 10X approach, which challenges us to rethink how public services are designed and delivered.

In the coming year, I aim to further develop my ability to identify and implement projects with entrepreneurial potential, create job opportunities in the space sector, and contribute to the growth of the space economy, while also strengthening my leadership and collaboration capabilities.

7. What advice do you have for public sector innovators who want to build a career focused on serving all citizens?

My advice to public sector innovators is to always have citizens at the center while developing a system.

I want to encourage innovators to consider how people actually interact with government systems and processes and whether they are easy to understand, accessible, and intuitive to use.

Designing with the full user journey in mind, from first contact to final outcome, helps ensure services are inclusive and practical for all citizens.

It’s also important to engage with users early and often, especially those from underserved communities, and to be willing to simplify systems that may seem efficient internally but feel complicated to the public.

When services are designed around real experiences rather than assumptions, they build trust and deliver meaningful impact.

8. Who inspires you to build a more inclusive and trustworthy public sector?

I am deeply inspired by His Majesty The Fifth King of Bhutan and his unwavering emphasis on accountability, excellence, and service in the public sector.

His Majesty’s vision of an Enlightened Entrepreneurial Bureaucracy, one that is agile, efficient, and constantly striving to do better resonates with me.

His emphasis for public servants to perform with greater efficiency and effectiveness, continues to guide my own commitment to building a more inclusive, trustworthy, and citizen-centered public sector.

9. If you had an unlimited budget, what would your dream project be?

If I had an unlimited budget, my dream project would be to accelerate and integrate Bhutan’s ongoing efforts to reduce the digital divide, ensuring that digital services reach every citizen, despite the country’s challenging geography.

The focus would be on making government services, education, and critical information seamlessly accessible across the country.

Building on existing initiatives, I would scale satellite-enabled connectivity, strengthen digital public infrastructure, and design services that function reliably in low-bandwidth and remote environments.

10. Outside tech, what excites you the most?

I enjoy hiking and spending time in nature, travelling to different places and trying out new cuisines. 

This feature was made possible in partnership with Centre for Digital Public Infrastructure (CDPI).