Posts

Showing posts from March, 2025

Pakistan and China Strengthen their Digital Ties!

Image
Pakistan and China have collaborated before on various events and which have helped in strengthening ties between both of them. Recently they both shook hands on an agreement to improve the digital infrastructure in Pakistan. This cooperation has its focus on a few domains like digital technology, Artificial Intelligence(AI), information and communication technology(ICT) and digital economy as a whole.  Ministry of information technology and telecommunication posted, " The meeting focused on strengthening collaboration in emerging technology, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and digital governance, aligning with Pakistan’s vision for a digitally empowered future." This all will be made possible through potential training that will be provided to Pakistani students in leading Chinese universities on AI and data sciences to train the youth for contribution in further technological development. This will target in improving the capacity building in ICT to discover poten...

A Pakistani tech startup made $85 million in just 11 months! Here's how:

Image
Pakistan was close to achieving a unicorn when Airlift was able to raise $85 million in 2021. This was the biggest ever funding that Pakistan had ever experienced. At that time Airlift made it to the headlines all around Pakistan and even on a global level as it set this new record.  It faced its final downfall which let to its shutdown in 2022 without any further hope. Everyone talked about how Airlift made it to the top position on the charts and how it then vanished. What no one talked about was the blue prints Airlift followed to raise such an investment and how our economy which is at the brink of bankruptcy let that happen.  We have talked about how Airlift was able to exploit the market of quick commerce and secure a strong position in a then-less crowded industry. But this was not the only factor which led to its success.  Let's come to the point, top universities of Pakistan like IBA and LUMS have a very strong alumni network and students here always stress on cr...

Huawei’s training Investment in Pakistan – A Boon or a Trap?

Image
  “Providing technical training to Pakistani youth in the field of information technology is the government’s top priority, we seek a strong and long-term partnership with Huawei.” said PM Shehbaz. Huawei Technologies has already trained 20,315 students till date, and Pakistan has planned to continue prospering this relationship. In collaboration with the  Higher Education Commission (HEC),  it has launched the following specialized courses in  Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing, Big Data, and Cybersecurity  across  15 leading Pakistani universities:  Artificial Intelligence (AI)  – Machine learning, deep learning, AI-driven solutions. Cloud Computing  – Cloud infrastructure, deployment, and management. Big Data  – Data analytics, processing, and interpretation. Cybersecurity  – Network security, ethical hacking, and risk assessment. This highlights the  focused efforts and commitment  toward  enhancing and revi...

Pak VS Ind: What Indian startups did that Pakistan is failing to do?

Image
The Indian startup ecosystem has emerged as one of the strongest in the world, producing multiple unicorns and attracting billions in investments. Meanwhile, Pakistani startups continue to struggle with funding, scalability, and sustainability. Since 1947, India has remained our favorite benchmark for comparison—and the sentiment is mutual. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with this rivalry, it has often fueled skepticism about Pakistan’s economic standing rather than fostering meaningful progress. Instead of using these comparisons as a catalyst for improvement, we have repeatedly failed to learn from past missteps, hindering our ability to craft effective policies for sustainable growth. This will always remain my concern: even after watching ourselves being overpowered by our neighbor due to our lack of sensible policymaking, we have not improved even a bit. Repeating the same mistakes, failing to introduce practical reforms, and wasting our existing potential are things we ha...

How EdTech is Impacting Startups & Businesses in Pakistan?

Image
We have seen a surge in the usage of technology when it comes to education in recent years in Pakistan and this has not come with a surprise. Traditional classroom culture especially came to a halt with the spread of Covid-19 6 years back. Although students have gone back to classroom setting with a board and table and chair but technology is not willing to leave the scene completely.  We can talk hours and hours on the advantages and disadvantages of online learning for students and teachers. But here we are concerned with its impact on the education sector and our business setting as a whole.  This transformative wave in Pakistan is unlocking a wealth of opportunities for startups and businesses. From cutting-edge online learning platforms to advanced corporate training solutions, the EdTech sector is fueling innovation, driving economic growth, and shaping a dynamic workforce for the future. Emerging startups in Pakistan: • Taleemabad – A mobile-based platform offering enga...

9/10 Tech industry startups are bound to fail!

Image
"Our IT vision is to put in place an accelerated digitization ecosystem to enable socio-economic development, to expand knowledge-based economy and to spur the economic growth." Syed Amin ul Haq said this in a report of 2020. But the topic of today's discussion suggests otherwise which is the concerning tech startup failure rate of Pakistan. Since then we have seen some highs and lows concerning the tech industry of Pakistan, alternatively for some there has been mostly darkness. Several college graduates and young entrepreneurs are dreaming of the next billion-dollar idea but there still seems to be a problem. Some are able to hit the right target but mostly fail to do so. Pakistani tech industry's success till date: In 2021, Pakistani startups collectively raised  $365.87 million , showing a 450% increase from the $66.44 million raised in 2020. (good enough? right?)  The following are a few that left their marks: Airlift : $85 million Bazaar : $36.5 million...

Pakistan grants approval to Starlink!

Image
Starlink is a satellite based internet service provider which provides high speed and uninterrupted internet connection. It has been developed by SpaceX which is an aerospace company founded by Elon Musk.  It is observed to be faster than any other satellite internet as it supports download speeds 100-500 mbps. It also has the ability to provide connection to remote and underdeveloped areas which are usually marginalized in terms of the basic broadband internet. In early January Starlink applied for approval to operate in Pakistan and hence was waiting for acceptance since then. During that time perioad there were rumours that some IT and Tech companies in Pakistan have started using Starlink illegally even before the approval process started.  This clearly shows that how desperate us Pakistani's are for such a reliable and fast internet service considering the current condition of our internet connections.   These companies imported Starlink kits through unofficial ...

Why are Pakistanis not able to land jobs in the tech industry?

Image
Top Pakistani CEO's have a strong take on why locals of Pakistan are not able to get employment in the growing tech industry worldwide. They all pointed out that while everyone can develop technical skills and gain experience, the one thing that is missing is soft skills.  YES, you heard that right! While everyone focuses on their tech driven aspects of mind they loose focus on development of  other hirable skills.  You must be thinking that the issue lies in the global labor market only but I would like to mention here that even getting a job in the local tech market has become a hardcore challenge for people. So, we will be talking about Pakistani tech industry employment issues in jiffy. Development of soft skills: To start with, the biggest misunderstanding is that in order to get accepted for a job people assume that they need technical skills. Which is to some extent true but there is more to a job then this.  Learning python, computer engineering etc is not e...