Young and innovative entrepreneurs of Faisalabad must avail ATX-Pak Advance Program to penetrate into American markets with the collaboration of their counterparts from Austin, said Alicia Dean, focal person of the program.
Addressing a selected gathering of the FCCI (Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry) members belonging to the value added textile sector here Sunday, she told that ATX-Pak entrepreneurs program is a US funded initiative which will connect entrepreneurs, investors, influencers and educators form Austin with their counterparts in Pakistan. She told that the startup community of Austin will be involved in this program to develop this city as a major market place for the onward dispatch of fashion garments to other American state because of its centrally located position.
"In this connection certain incentives and facilitation would be offer to the Pakistani entrepreneurs," she told and added that two delegations of creative industry and business leaders from Austin will soon visit Pakistan to explore collaboration, product sourcing, production and exports opportunities. Similarly the Pakistani entrepreneurs will also have an opportunity to work with commercial partners in Austin and benefit from a unique retail experience.
She told that for the first time Pakistani entrepreneurs including SME sector will also showcase their fashion brands in pop-up concept stores located in prime location in central Austin. "Each shop would be opened for three weeks," she said, adding that it will be operated with local supporting staff from the Austin.
Earlier, Syed Zia Alumdar Hussain President FCCI said that Faisalabad as being a hub of textile and main seat of National Textile University has potential to enter into the high value industry of fashion garments with its experience and ideas. However, he hoped that American government will allow market access to the Pakistani textile products as EU has already granted GSP Plus status to Pakistan.
He also termed Pakistan as safe destination for foreign visitors and hoped that Alicia Dean will disseminate this message upon her return back to America that Pakistan is a safe country for the foreign buyers.
A question-answer session was also held which was attended by Mohammad Amjad Khawaja, Mian Farhan Latif, Ajmal Farooq and others.
Later, VP Engineer Ihtasham Javed offered vote of thanks. He also offered to ink a MoU with ATX-Pak Advance Program and FCCI as both are facilitating business entrepreneurs. Later, Tehmina Afzal of GC University Faisalabad presented FCCI shield to Alicia Dean.