Narrowing the digital skills gap through digital skills training and greater adoption of education technologies can add Rs 2.8 trillion to Pakistan’s GDP by 2030, says Google.
Google hosted Agay Barho: A Google for Pakistan Event in Islamabad, sharing updates on its continued commitment to unlocking future opportunities for Pakistan’s digital economy. A new research finding shows that investing in digital skills and boosting digital exports can play a significant role in future-proofing Pakistan’s digital economy.
At the event, Access Partnership unveiled a new report titled “Agay Barho: Empowering Pakistan’s Digital Economy,” which shows that despite facing economic challenges, Pakistan’s information technology (IT) industry is emerging as the engine of economic recovery and growth. Pakistan’s IT services exports have grown by 2.7x since 2014, reaching 35% of all service-sector exports in 2023.
Digital technologies will contribute significantly to Pakistan’s digital exports, with an additional $6.6 billion (Rs. 1.8 trillion) in annual export value in 2030 gained by exports of mobile apps, online video services, cross-border digital ads, cross-border e-commerce, and other digital services. Furthermore, this number is expected to increase significantly if Pakistan implements enabling policies.
This boost in digital exports will mainly be driven by businesses using digital technologies to create new exportable digital solutions, reduce the cost of accessing overseas markets, and drive more efficiencies in the export processes. According to the report, digital technologies, particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI), play a significant role in accelerating exports by enabling new opportunities and access to overseas markets.
Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja commended Google for driving the country’s digital economy forward. She said:
I would like to commend Google for undertaking initiatives that have significantly improved the lives of thousands of Pakistanis over the last few years. I was pleased to see that Google has provided over 960,000 jobs to Pakistani youths in 2023 alone. The success of these Google initiatives in Pakistan is a testament to both, the country’s potential in the digital world and Google’s commitment to upskilling and uplifting the youth of our country.
Farhan S. Qureshi, Google Pakistan’s country director, stated:
We’re very proud that in 2023 alone, Google’s AI-powered tools contributed a staggering Rs 3.9 trillion to the Pakistani economy. In addition, our recent partnership with Tech Valley, Allied and NRTC to produce 500,000 Chromebooks locally, with the Prime Minister’s support, marks a significant stride in Pakistan’s digital transformation journey.
Google Search, Google Ads, Google AdSense, Google Play, Google Cloud, and YouTube helped provide Rs. 2.6 trillion of economic activity for Pakistani businesses. Out of this, Rs. 249 billion came from overseas markets. Google Search, Google Maps, Google Play, Google Drive, and YouTube helped provide Rs. 1.3 trillion of economic benefits for households.
In 2023, Google supported 864,600 jobs by helping businesses expand using Google services. The Android app economy supported an additional 100,400 jobs.
It also launched new programs such as the Google AI Essentials skilling program to help learners make the most out of AI within just a few hours, and in collaboration with TechValley it launched Career Kamyabi, an initiative designed to close the employment gap for female GCC graduates. In partnership with PAFLA, Google introduced a Freelancer skilling program that equips freelancers with soft skills and has already trained more than 10,000 freelancers across Pakistan.
