Mr Sumit Dugar
IAS Residential Fellow
British Embassy Kathmandu
Sumit Dugar is an international development professional with over a decade of progressive experience in portfolio management, systems thinking, and fostering strategic partnerships to enhance programme delivery. He currently serves as the Resilience Adviser for the UK Government at the British Embassy in Kathmandu (BEK), where he leads the £38.5 million Resilience, Adaptation, and Inclusion in Nepal (RAIN) Programme (2025–2030). In this role, he works closely with key government counterparts in Nepal, including the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA), National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), Ministry of Forest and Environment (MoFE), and the Ministry of Finance (MoF).
Previously, Sumit successfully managed the £56 million Strengthening Disaster Resilience and Responding to Humanitarian Emergencies Programme (2017–2025) and contributed to the implementation of the £50 million Climate Smart Development Programme (2016–2025). His professional experience includes collaboration with commercial suppliers, the Red Cross, multilateral development banks, UN agencies, and both national and international NGOs across federal, provincial, and local levels.
He has led and delivered several high-impact UK-funded interventions, including the £15.5 million COVID-19 Response (2020–2022), the £13 million Joint Recovery Action Plan (2024–2025) for earthquake recovery, a £2 million flood response and recovery initiative (2017–2018), and £4.5 million in humanitarian responses through the Start Fund in Nepal.
Sumit brings technical expertise in early warning systems, anticipatory action, humanitarian assistance, emergency preparedness, early recovery and response, climate adaptation, and climate finance. He has a strong interest in the role of research and evidence in shaping policy, governance, and the effectiveness of overseas development assistance.