The Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) Innovation Fund for Mobile Internet Adoption and Digital Inclusion has announced three startups from Pakistan as winners for the total grant of Approx. GBP 668,000 (PKR 146 million).

The winner startups include Vceela, Knowledge Platform, and Orenda Pakistan. GSMA received 597 startup applications received from 44 countries.

Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Syed Amin Ul Haq distributed certificates among the winners. Haq said that the Ministry of IT & Telecom is fully committed to promoting entrepreneurship and innovation in Pakistan.

He appreciated the efforts of the GSMA and said that revolutionary changes in the field of telecommunication in Pakistan are now being recognized all over the world. He said the reforms in the telecommunication sector in Pakistan and the facilities provided to mobile operators have paved the way for investment in mobile networking in Pakistan. He further said that for the first time in the tenure of the present government that from the preparation of the Right of Way Policy to its approval and implementation was made which could not be done in the last 24 years.

He said that steps are also being taken to provide 3G and 4G services across the country.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) ranked Pakistan among the best countries in terms of the affordability of ICT services. Pakistan is ranked 4th in the Global Freelance industry, providing excellent technical resources in various technology fields.

“ITU has announced Pakistan’s National Incubation Centers ‘Ignite’ as one of the champions of projects of its environment category at World Summit on the Information Society Prizes 2021”, he added.

Addressing the occasion virtually Julian Gorman, Head of Asia Pacific, GSMA said that digital technologies are set to transform the way people live and work in Pakistan. As we saw in the GSMA 2020 Digital Societies Report, which tracks the progress of 11 focus countries in the Asia Pacific, Pakistan is advancing its societal, economic, and digital ambition, as outlined in Digital Pakistan Vision.

He said that by 2023, the economic contribution of the mobile industry in Pakistan is expected to reach $24 billion, accounting for 6.6 percent of GDP.