LAHORE: The forthcoming Pakistan Auto Show, scheduled to take place from Oct 27-29 is set to feature the debut of several prominent and distinguished exhibitors such as Honda, SITECH, Crown Group, HACPL, and Ayesha Steel, which have already confirmed the participation in the event being held in the Pakistan’s largest industrial hub of Karachi.
Furthermore, the governmental and trade entities of considerable stature, including the Engineering Development Board, Ministry of Commerce, SMEDA, PASPIDA, GDA, TMA, PAK Wheel, Trade Key, GDA, Auto Mark, Industrial Magazine, and Time’s Trade Directory, have pledged their proactive support and engagement in this significant endeavour.
This year’s exhibition places a strong emphasis on the promotion of indigenization and fostering synergistic collaborations across diverse industries.
The organizer of the 18th Edition of the Pakistan Auto Show Zain Shariq observed that the automotive sector holds a pivotal role in Pakistan’s economic landscape, with major players such as Toyota, United Motors, and Ghandhara Nissan playing instrumental roles in developing the domestic automobile manufacturing industry.
It’s worth noting that Pakistan witnessed a remarkable surge of 171% in automobile production between 2014 and 2018, contributing approximately 3% to the nation’s GDP and providing gainful employment to over 4 million individuals as of 2018.
Additionally, the emergence of electric vehicles has ushered in a new era, with Jolta Electric leading the charge in the production of electric motorcycles and NLC forging strategic partnerships with Mercedes-Benz for local manufacturing of Mercedes trucks.
Nevertheless, despite substantial progress in achieving localization targets for various vehicle categories, Pakistan grapples with the challenges posed by economies of scale and relatively low motorization rates.
Ensuring the affordability of automobiles for the general populace necessitates a concerted effort toward maximizing production capacity and fostering technology transfer, similar to the successful model adopted by India.
The PAAPAM spokesperson and Secretary General Ghulam Murtaza said the Pakistan Auto Show has evolved into a premier brand of substantial significance, attracting national and international automotive brands, engineering professionals, trade delegations, and high-ranking government officials. It serves as a testament to Pakistan’s automotive industry’s growth potential and attractiveness, poised for further expansion and development.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023