ENTREPRENEUR AWARDS
During the Druk Tshongrig Gatoen event, we honor our entrepreneurs through the prestigious Best Loden Entrepreneur Award. This accolade stands as a celebration of entrepreneurial excellence and a testament to the remarkable achievements of individuals within the business sphere. Beyond recognition, the award serves as a powerful incentive, encouraging Loden entrepreneurs to generate meaningful social impact while maintaining timely loan repayments—thereby ensuring that recuperated funds can be reinvested to empower other aspiring entrepreneurs in realizing their ambitions.
The recipient of the Best Loden Entrepreneur Award is honored not only with this distinguished title but also with a cash prize of BTN 200,000. Over the years, this accolade has been conferred upon exceptional entrepreneurs whose inspiring journeys exemplify innovation, resilience, and social impact. Each awardee’s story stands as a testament to the transformative power of entrepreneurship in Bhutan, serving both as recognition of individual achievement and as motivation for others to pursue their aspirations with integrity and purpose.
Mr. Ramesh’s company - 'Paro Commercial Poultry Feed' specializes in producing high-quality feed for Layer Hens, offering ten different packages tailored to every stage of a hen’s life - from young chicks to mature layers. The feed formulas are carefully developed based on the official management guidebook of Hy-Line Breed suppliers, ensuring optimal nutrition, improved egg production, reduced feed waste, and healthier flocks. With extensive experience in poultry farming, Mr. Ramesh’s goal is to help farmers achieve better results and profitability through reliable, science-based feed solutions. His company plays a key role in supporting the growth of Bhutan’s poultry sector.
Ramesh Rai
Best Loden Entrepreneur Award 2025
iBEST is widely recognized for producing Bhutan’s first 2D animated feature film, 'The Legend of Pemi Tshewang Tashi', and for creating Educare Skill, a digital learning platform helping thousands learn Dzongkha and other subjects. The company now employs over 350 Bhutanese, having upskilled thousands more through various training programs and national initiatives, including e-learning content during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tharchen
Best Loden Entrepreneur Award 2025
Mr. Tashi Dhendup Dorji, founder of Laykha Dairy Delights, pioneered Bhutan's flavoured yogurt in spout pouches. Driven by inclusivity and excellence, he earned Entrepreneur of the Year (2020) and Best Trademark (2021). Committed to Bhutan's self-sufficiency, Mr. Tashi aims to empower entrepreneurs and expand local manufacturing while fostering social impact.
Tashi Dhendup Dorji
Best Loden Entrepreneur Award 2023
Kunzer Fabrication specializes in the production of eco-friendly cooking solutions designed to reduce dependence on firewood and thereby contribute to forest conservation. The company manufactures advanced bio-gas cookers equipped with a 100-liter capacity cooking pot, capable of preparing both rice and curry simultaneously for over 300 individuals. These cookers are engineered to operate on bio-gas or LPG, offering a sustainable and efficient alternative to traditional firewood-based cooking methods. The project is supported through Loden-DHI Fund.
Kinga Yoezer
Best Loden Entrepreneur Award 2021
Gyeltshen Bakery offers a delightful range of products including birthday cakes, pizzas, homemade biscuits, and pastries. Strategically located near Taktse College, the bakery enjoys a strong position as one of the few established businesses serving the large community of teachers and students. With no nearby competitors and consistently high demand, Gyeltshen Bakery is uniquely placed to thrive and expand its customer base.
Nidup Gyeltshen
Best Loden Entrepreneur Award 2020
Bhutan Alternatives is a comprehensive provider of eco-friendly, high-quality, and affordable printer toner cartridges. What sets the company apart in the market is its innovative recycling of used toner cartridges, which not only minimizes e-waste but also ensures cost-effective products for customers. By combining sustainability with affordability, Bhutan Alternatives delivers practical solutions that benefit both consumers and the environment. The project is supported through Loden-DHI fund.
Leki Dawa
Best Loden Entrepreneur Award 2019
Nima Lotey Fibre Services was established by Mr. Nima Lotey, a highly skilled engineer, to meet Bhutan’s growing demand for high-speed data transmission. The firm provides comprehensive installation and maintenance services for optical fibre cables, catering to a wide range of home users as well as small and medium-sized enterprises. Its success is built on the exclusive use of premium-quality fibre optic products and cable television equipment, ensuring reliable performance and long-term customer satisfaction.
Nima Lotey
Best Loden Entrepreneur Award 2018
Bubu Bakery is the pioneering bakery in Lobesa, introducing elegant and delicious pastries to meet the area’s growing demand. Renowned as a leading establishment, it offers a wide selection of premium-quality cakes at affordable prices. Under the leadership of Ms. Kinley Dema, the bakery employs three skilled staff members and a driver to provide convenient door-to-door delivery services. Beyond its standard offerings, Bubu Bakery also specializes in beautifully crafted custom cakes for birthdays and other special occasions, ensuring every celebration is memorable.
Kinley Dema
Best Loden Entrepreneur Award 2017
In Bhutan, the media has emerged as a powerful instrument of social, political, and economic change and has substantially evolved in recent years. Yet, the majority of media employees in Bhutan today do not receive adequate training. Bhutan Media Institute plays a crucial role in training competent and independent result-oriented professionals in the fields of PR and Communication. BMI provides a wide range of effective training suited for both experienced professionals who wish to grow their skills and inexperienced individuals who plan on working in media.
Pushpa Chhetri
Best Loden Entrepreneur Award 2016
Tshejor Ayzey was founded in 2010 by Mrs. Tshewang Dem, who envisioned producing authentic Bhutanese pickles using a distinctive blend of local ingredients. What began as a homemade initiative quickly gained popularity, leading to larger-scale production to meet rising market demand. To reach chili enthusiasts abroad, Mrs. Tshewang developed packaging that made her pickles easy to transport, extending their appeal beyond Bhutan’s borders.
As a pioneering female entrepreneur, she is committed to inspiring other women to pursue financial independence through enterprise. Her efforts were recognized nationally when she received the Loden Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2015, a testament to her innovation and impact in reducing reliance on imported pickles while promoting Bhutanese flavours.
Tshewang Dem
Best Loden Entrepreneur Award 2015
Lama Sonam Jamtsho fulfilled the wish of his teacher, Chatral Rinpochhe, by establishing a monastery in the remote sacred valley of Beyul Langdrak. Recognizing the need for income to sustain the project, he founded an incense factory, humorously remarking, “My business is monk.” Drawing on his entrepreneurial skills, he sourced nearly all ingredients from the valley’s abundant medicinal plants. In 2014, he was honoured with the Loden Entrepreneur of the Year Award, as the incense factory became not only a financial success but also a model of altruism—creating jobs for poor families and supporting the education of young monks. With humility, Lama Sonam proudly shows the monastery’s new kitchen, refectory, and guesthouse, facilities that now shelter monks from the rain and snow. Balancing his monastic duties with enterprise, he can often be seen in Thimphu seeking new customers, proving that religious devotion and entrepreneurship can coexist. Lama Sonam demonstrates that spiritual leaders can, in fact, be among the most impactful contributors to an altruistic economy.
Lama Sonam Gyamtsho
Best Loden Entrepreneur Award 2014
Ayang Music School, founded by Mr. Jigme Drukpa, is a private institution dedicated to nurturing the musical talents of Bhutanese people. Recognizing the evolution of traditional Bhutanese music into contemporary genres, the school quickly rose to prominence as a leading provider of high-quality music training programs. In addition to its teaching, Ayang Music School offers professional consultancy services and has collaborated with esteemed institutions such as the Royal Academy of Performing Arts. Mr. Jigme Drukpa, himself an accomplished traditional musician, was honoured with the Loden Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2013, a recognition of his vision in blending cultural preservation with modern innovation in Bhutan’s music landscape.
Jigme Drukpa
Best Loden Entrepreneur Award 2013
BE PART OF OUR WORK TO CHANGE LIVES
SPECIAL AWARDS:
Introduce special awards or recognitions for unique achievements, such as innovation, social impact, or sustainability.
GRANTS:
Offer grants, or other forms of financial assistance to help awardees pursue further education, research, or business development.
chapter of change
