Sialkot emerges as major e-commerce hub

87% of Pakistan's Alibaba transactions originate from city, says IT minister

ISLAMABAD:

Sialkot has emerged as a key player in e-commerce trading, where 87% of Pakistan's total trade transactions are made by Chinese tech giants alone, primarily driven by wholesale business.

Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja said that the government was aiming to be the primary buyer of local innovative tech products and wanted Pakistan's large-scale industries to do the same to support domestic tech SMEs.

She shared that 87% of Pakistan's total trade transactions on Alibaba originated from Sialkot alone, primarily driven by wholesale business.

Ignite, operating under the Ministry of IT and Telecom (MoITT), has signed an agreement with a Mobilink Bank-led consortium, which includes CyberVision International, to establish and operate the National Incubation Centre (NIC) Sialkot, further strengthening Pakistan's innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

The IT minister, while addressing the signing ceremony, said the partnership aimed to create a dedicated platform for technology-driven startups and innovative ventures in Sialkot, one of Pakistan's leading industrial and export hubs.

The ceremony took place at the Ministry of IT and Telecom and was attended by senior ministry officials, Ignite and Mobilink Bank representatives.

The IT minister said, "The establishment of NIC Sialkot reflects Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's Digital National Pakistan vision. The government is fully committed to nurturing innovation and digital entrepreneurship across Pakistan by equipping young entrepreneurs with the right resources and opportunities."

Ignite CEO Muhammad Bilal Abbasi stated, "NIC Sialkot is another important milestone in Ignite's mission to strengthen Pakistan's startup ecosystem. The centre will help entrepreneurs transform innovative ideas into scalable businesses while promoting technology adoption, industrial productivity and export competitiveness."

Mobilink Bank President and CEO Haaris Mahmood Chaudhary said, "Pakistan's economic resilience demands broad-based participation – not growth concentrated in a few cities, but opportunity extended to small enterprises across the country. We believe innovation must be accessible, inclusive, and rooted in local business realities. Through NIC Sialkot, we are equipping entrepreneurs with mentorship, digital tools, financial solutions, and market access to scale with confidence."

While open to startups from all sectors, the NIC Sialkot will particularly support ventures aligned with the city's industrial strengths, including sports technologies, healthcare and surgical technologies, manufacturing innovation, e-commerce, export-enabling solutions, and emerging digital industries.