LAHORE: Google hosted ‘Think Apps 2024’ in the provincial capital, bringing together nearly 350 of Pakistan’s top developers, alongside global and regional industry leaders and experts.
Building on the success of ‘Think Apps in 2023’, this year’s event, the largest for the industry, focused on empowering developers to harness artificial intelligence (AI) to drive innovation, growth, and sustainability in Pakistan’s expanding app industry, disclosed a Google’s spokesperson on Wednesday.
According to Access Partnership’s latest Economic Impact Report, Pakistan can realise a $6.6 billion annual increase in revenue potential by 2030 by focusing on digital exports, with the gaming and app industry identified as one of the key growth opportunity areas. Pakistan’s gaming and app industry has demonstrated impressive growth in recent years, including a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 32 percent in global downloads of locally-made apps from 2018 to 2023. While overall app downloads dipped slightly in 2023, placing the country at 17th globally, the industry remains resilient as in-app purchase (IAP) revenue soared by 50 percent.
One of the biggest opportunities for Pakistani developers is creating high-quality, sustainable games. Beyond that, reaching users across the world remains a top priority. To double down on its commitment to supporting developers, Google is launching new programmes in 2024, including a Game Design Masterclass for Pakistan’s most talented game developers from the country’s top studios; Google Ads Academy for marketing professionals from across Pakistan’s top studios; and Build with AI and Cloud AI Study Jams for developers who can also deepen their expertise through hands-on AI and Cloud training.
Additionally, Google is deepening engagement at key events like the Google Developer Conference (US), CXO meetups in APAC and APAC’s App Summit, connecting leaders of Pakistan’s top gaming and app studios talent with global peers.
Commenting on Pakistan’s app and gaming industry, Farhan S Qureshi, Google’s Director for Pakistan, said that it has high potential for long-term future growth. “Several Pakistani studios are leading the charge in mobile app development, which is consistently generating millions of downloads daily, employing hundreds of Pakistanis and garnering global attention,” he added.
“Think Apps 2024 is a testament to our commitment to empowering local developers. By providing access to our AI-powered products and resources, we aim to help them create exceptional games and apps, drive profitability, and build sustainable businesses. This will unlock the opportunity to improve the country’s economy through digital export proceeds and provide high-value employment. Google remains dedicated to investing in Pakistan’s developer ecosystem and supporting its journey to global success.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024