By Muhammad Yasir
KARACHI: The 25th edition of ITCN Asia, Pakistan’s biggest IT and telecom expo and conference, will take place on August 27–29 at the Expo Center in Karachi. This event is set to focus significant goals of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) to facilitate investors, exporters, and entrepreneurs of the IT industry, making Pakistan an emerging tech hub in the world.
ITCN Asia is expected to generate over $500 million in investments and business, making it a significant contributor to Pakistan’s economy. The event will also host the 2nd edition of the World CIO 200 Summit, a global event held in 55 countries, further solidifying Pakistan’s position in the global tech landscape.
State Minister for IT & Telecom Shaza Fatima Khawaja will inaugurate the event as the chief guest, and Federal Minister of Commerce Jam Kamal will also be the chief guest for the Agritech Conference at the three-day trade fair. Leading global and local brands are participating in the event such as Google, TikTok, Microsoft, Odoo, Huawei, PTCL, Easypaisa, including 750 companies.
The event will host more than 300 speakers and 70,000 visitors from the tech sector, including 350 foreign delegates from 17 countries, including Saudi Arabia, China, Singapore, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Iran, Egypt, UAE, etc. Several knowledge sessions will be held, such as Digital Transformation Conference, Investors Summit, Digital Banking Conference, Information Security Conference, Cloud and Datacenter Conference, Startup Conference, E-commerce Conference, Gaming and Animation Summit, Startup Conference, Blockchain Conference, and The World CIO 200 Summit, etc.
Event Director ITCN Asia Umair Nizam said Pakistan’s IT sector is flourishing by leaps and bounds with its consistent growth of exports and expansion of local companies to different countries. Global companies are enhancing their footprint and partnerships in Pakistan, paving the way for technological transfer to local industries and individuals.
The country is revamping its economy and governance systems on technological milestones through a digital transformation due to the vision of the government and relevant authorities, he said and added. Every year, ITCN Asia provides a platform for all stakeholders, from policymakers to global and local tech giants, professionals, and thinkers, to set a direction for a country toward innovation, development, and economic growth.
25th ITCN Asia will be presented by Tech destination Pakistan and supported by the Ministry of IT and Telecom, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FPCCI), Ignite, CISO Global Forum, and the Pakistan IT Industry Association (P@SHA).