KARACHI: Stanford graduate Atif Azim, a successful tech entrepreneur who previously spent time working in San Francisco’s Silicon Valley, said that Pakistan is moving through an exciting phase, and that this is just the right time for people to implement high tech business ideas in the country.
“We can replicate the Silicon Valley model for sure,” the co-founder and chief executive officer of VentureDive, a firm that develops bespoke technology solutions for businesses, told Arab News on Sunday.
Azim’s company is behind the success of Careem Networks, one of the fastest growing tech startups in the Middle East and North Africa. He said that the main ingredients required to implement the Silicon Valley model are all available in Pakistan.
“Three things are needed to know why Silicon Valley is what it is today,” he said.
“One, you have universities that are churning out smart people whether in business or technology. Then you have financiers who are willing to fund and invest in these people, and you have the customers/ industries who are willing to buy the system and use it for their benefit.”
Discussing the development of the Careem app, Azim said that it was young Pakistani developers who worked wonders.
“Our young developers are the best in the world. As Pakistanis, we can proudly say that the initial work was all done in the country,” he said.
“Pakistani software engineers have got the experience of not just writing codes but building high-tech systems. They will now mentor upcoming engineers who will help the country,” he said.
Azim, whose VentureDive has been on board many local and international projects, believes that Pakistani industries are beginning to realize the importance of investing in technology.
“Investors are learning more about investment in technology as it was too easy to invest in real estate up until now. Industries are now realizing that they cannot miss the technological advancement, and what they need to do now is to support and trust Pakistani innovations,” he added.
“Our challenge is how to get the right skills and right talent that the world needs,” he continued.
Currently, Azim is advising Roads and Transport Authority, generally known as RTA Dubai, on mobility and providing technical consultancy services for Expo 2020.
“We are advising them (RTA) on the mobility of different modes of transport and how to build a platform that allows us to integrate different routes at the city level,” he said.
His company is also developing an integrated solution to the growing problem of diabetes in the Middle East. “We are working on a HealthTech platform for a Middle Eastern country that will help solve some of the diabetes challenges. The data and behavioral driven integrated online system with medical devices will allow users to manage their diabetes,” he said.
IslamicFinder.org is the another platform where the company is engaged with its partners in Saudi Arabia.
“This has grown into the number two platform in the world now. Out of our Lahore office, we have developed road and technical maps. It is now doing very well with a huge growth of 50 million active users at the web and over 10 million downloads,” Azim said.
The company is also working with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on mother and child health care and nutrition that will allow data drive decision making.
After Middle East success, tech entrepreneur says Pakistan ready for Silicon Valley model
After Middle East success, tech entrepreneur says Pakistan ready for Silicon Valley model
- Pakistani tech company behind Careem Networks’ success is now working on diabetic solutions for Middle East
- Pakistan’s tech developers ‘best in the world,’ says Atif Azim
Islamabad says surge in aircraft orders after India standoff could end IMF reliance
- Pakistani jets came into the limelight after Islamabad claimed to have shot down six Indian aircraft during a standoff in May last year
- Many countries have since stepped up engagement with Pakistan, while others have proposed learning from PAF’s multi-domain capabilities
ISLAMABAD: Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday said Pakistan has witnessed a surge in aircraft orders after a four-day military standoff with India last year and, if materialized, they could end the country’s reliance on the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The statement came hours after a high-level Bangladeshi defense delegation met Pakistan’s Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu to discuss a potential sale of JF-17 Thunder aircraft, a multi-role fighter jointly developed by China and Pakistan that has become the backbone of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) over the past decade.
Fighter jets used by Pakistan came into the limelight after Islamabad claimed to have shot down six Indian aircraft, including French-made Rafale jets, during the military conflict with India in May last year. India acknowledged losses in the aerial combat but did not specify a number.
Many countries have since stepped up defense engagement with Pakistan, while delegations from multiple other nations have proposed learning from Pakistan Air Force’s multi-domain air warfare capabilities that successfully advanced Chinese military technology performs against Western hardware.
“Right now, the number of orders we are receiving after reaching this point is significant because our aircraft have been tested,” Defense Minister Asif told a Pakistan’s Geo News channel.
“We are receiving those orders, and it is possible that after six months we may not even need the IMF.”
Pakistan markets the Chinese co-developed JF-17 as a lower-cost multi-role fighter and has positioned itself as a supplier able to offer aircraft, training and maintenance outside Western supply chains.
“I am saying this to you with full confidence,” Asif continued. “If, after six months, all these orders materialize, we will not need the IMF.”
Pakistan has repeatedly turned to the IMF for financial assistance to stabilize its economy. These loans come with strict conditions including fiscal reforms, subsidy cuts and measures to increase revenue that Pakistan must implement to secure disbursements.
In Sept. 2024, the IMF approved a $7 billion bailout for Pakistan under its Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program and a separate $1.4 billion loan under its climate resilience fund in May 2025, aimed at strengthening the country’s economic and climate resilience.
Pakistan has long been striving to expand defense exports by leveraging its decades of counter-insurgency experience and a domestic industry that produces aircraft, armored vehicles, munitions and other equipment.
The South Asian country reached a deal worth over $4 billion to sell military equipment to the Libyan National Army, Reuters report last month, citing Pakistani officials. The deal, one of Pakistan’s largest-ever weapons sales, included the sale of 16 JF-17 fighter jets and 12 Super Mushak trainer aircraft for basic pilot training.
