First national SME cluster expo inaugurated

Pakistan's first national SME cluster exhibition was inaugurated at the Expo Centre Lahore, with officials describing it as a step toward structured small business development and export readiness, as per a statement released on Saturday. The exhibition, titled "Made in Pakistan – SME Cluster Showcase Expo 2026", was inaugurated by the Prime Minister's Special Assistant on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Akhtar Khan said the SME Cluster Expo was the first exhibition of its kind in the country's history and brought together products manufactured in small regions across Pakistan. He said SME products from Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan were displayed under one roof.

He said the exhibition was conceived as a national platform to present SME clusters in an integrated manner and connect them with sourcing, investment and institutional support.

He said chambers of commerce and trade bodies carefully selected participating enterprises, with priority given to micro enterprises from Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, as well as women-led businesses.

SMEDA CEO Nadia Jahanagir Seth said the expo marked a milestone for the MSME sector, as diverse SME clusters were being showcased on a single national platform with a focus on outcomes rather than display. She said value-added products of 174 SMEs from more than 20 clusters were on display, including textiles and handicrafts, sports goods, leather, surgical instruments, cutlery, furniture, agribusiness, marble and granite, and light engineering.