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Pakistan sees nearly 70% rise in exports to China

ISLAMABAD Pakistan recorded nearly 70% increase in exports to China in the first quarter of 2021, an official said on Wednesday. “Impressive figures of Pakistan’s exports to China in 1st quarter of year 2021. $888 million as compared to 2020′ Q1 $526 million. An increase of 69%,” Moin ul Haque, Pakistan’s ambassador to China, said on Twitter. Haque praised his team for, encouraging for more: “Let us keep this momentum…

Pakistani startups make a mark globally

Pakistani startups have started making waves in the international arena by attracting wider international investment and media coverage. Since the Covid-19 outbreak in the country, the e-commerce industry has grown in popularity and firms specialising in this sector are leveraging digitalisation to bring suppliers and customers closer to each other. In the current era of rapid digitalisation, many startups have sprung up across different industries. One can say that competition…

Sastaticket.pk Lands on Forbes Asia 100 to Watch List

Pakistani online travel search and booking site, Sastaticket.pk was recently featured on the Forbes Asia 100 to Watch – an annual listing which highlights start-ups on the rise across the Asia-Pacific region. Sastaticket.pk competed against 899 other start-ups and made it to the list based on their growth trajectory and impact level. “At a time when economies worldwide are struggling from the pandemic, these agile companies are on a growth…

Pakistan’s fintech Oraan raises $3m

Pakistan’s fintech Oraan has raised $3 million in the largest seed funding closed by a local women-led startup, announced the company on Monday. The financing round was co-led by Zayn Capital and Wavemaker Partners, with participation from Resolution Ventures, i2i Ventures, Hustle Fund, Haitou Global, Plug and Play, and notable angels like Claire Diaz-Ortiz, a former partner at Magma Partners, who has also come on board as an advisor to…

Pakistani microfinance pioneer wins Asia’s ‘Nobel Prize’

A microfinance pioneer from Pakistan — who developed an interest-free microfinance programme — was among Tuesday’s winners of Asia’s equivalent to the Nobel Prize. Muhammad Amjad Saqib, 64, won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for his “first-of-its-kind” interest- and collateral-free microfinance programme that catalysed scores of poor households. Nearly two decades after its launch, Akhuwat — founded by Dr Saqib — has grown into the nation’s largest microfinance institution, distributing the…

Daraz Scoops Top Honors in E-mall and CSR Categories at Retail Asia Awards 2021

Pakistani e-commerce giant, Daraz, has won big at the Retail Asia Awards 2021, bagging awards in ‘E-Mall of the Year’ and ‘CSR Initiative of the Year’ categories. The Retail Asia Awards 2021 honors the innovations and accomplishments of enterprises in the past 24 months. Daraz received the ‘E-mall of the Year’ award for its focus on developing a premium and secure channel, DarazMall, for high-quality products and services. Since its inception…

IT Exports Increase 47pc to $1.9bln in 11 Months

KARACHI: Pakistan’s information technology exports increased 47 percent to $1.9 billion during 11 months of the current fiscal year of 2020/21, the central bank data showed on Friday. IT exports rose 59 percent year-on-year to $200 million in May. The exports were $126 million in the same month of last year. Telecommunications, computer and information services are the important items of services exports. The State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) data…

Amazon adds Pakistan to the Approved Selling Countries List

Sellers get excited! Buyers, don’t warm your credit cards up just yet! Pakistan has finally bagged a position in the Amazon approved selling countries. Although it might take 12 – 24 hours for the process to be finalized, up and running. Accounts can be made using Pakistani details. Standing ovation to the efforts of the people behind this incredible achievement, Aisha Moriani (Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce), Omer Gajial (Ex…