ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday launched its first Google Chromebook assembly line, a move aimed at expanding local tech manufacturing and improving access to affordable digital tools, state media reported.
The project was inaugurated by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar at a ceremony in Islamabad, marking what he described as a “milestone” in the country’s digital and industrial development.
“Localizing the assembly of Chromebooks will make access to digital tools affordable and inclusive, particularly in the education sector,” Radio Pakistan reported him as saying. “Beyond education, this initiative holds great economic significance, laying the ground for jobs, supply-chain development and future technology exports.”
Dar said Google’s decision to open a local office in Pakistan was a “powerful endorsement” of the country’s digital potential and would strengthen links with local startups and entrepreneurs.
He said the presence would “enable direct collaboration, capacity building and greater access to global platforms.”
Under a strategic memorandum of understanding, Pakistan and Google will train 100,000 developers nationwide and work together on localized, AI-powered services such as Android tools for public safety, according to the report.
Dar said the government wanted to encourage technological innovation and foreign investment.
“Our policy is aimed at making Pakistan a regional hub for technology development, backed by a regulatory framework that supports innovation,” he said, adding that the administration in Islamabad also plans to rationalize taxes to attract investors.
