Improvement of IT Sector in Pakistan.

Irony of the situation

• Pakistan’s IT export revenue USD 3 Billion per year

• India’s IT export revenue USD 111 Billion per year

• Ironically : Pakistan is the among the TOP three countries in the

world in IT based free lancingIssues

• Govt at competition with IT private sector

• Govt never assumed the role of IT sector enabler – it is mainly working as a

software development company

• Govt Depts have little or no appetite in IT/Automation – IT is inducted as bypass

-- no ownership by the departments

• Sustainability of the IT projects is not embedded in the project design

• Needless and extremely expansive projects were undertaken by govt, wasted

money, projects not functional [Wifi in Lahore, Automation of Courts, eKhidmat

Markaz, Plan 9 ]

We have neglected our private sectorIssues

• No Presences of multi-national IT Companies in Pakistan

• No clear IT policy - Emerging trends in IT sectors are largely ignored, thus

resulting in no intellectual & Valuable products/projects

• No Integration between academia and industry [Old curriculum of IT at

majority of our Universities]

• IT related companies fail to get any projects and generate revenue

• IT related Startups are not getting their projects the visibility and

promotion as needed

Solution

• Singapore is among the top of eGovernance & Artificial Reediness

index in the world

• Liberated in 1947 just like Pakistan from British

Follow the Singapore modelWhat is so special about Singapore

• Stripped down to its elements, it comes down to creating “enabling

conditions”

• Policies that are friendly to businesses

• Coordinated approach between universities and academia with

private companies to provide a trained work-force

• A culture of paying the IT worker for his/her servicesSuccess of IT sector depends on an iron triangle of

government, private capital and corporates – and

it starts with creating the right mindset and talent

It will need recourses : as a starting point govt has sufficient funds to ignite this

Challenge is to utilize recourses intelligently, meaningfully, and accountable manner. We need Tangible outcomes

We must be shifting to a knowledge-based economy driven by

innovation and research and developmentWhat Govt needs to Stop Immediately

• Get out of the competition with private market immediately

• Stop procuring hardware; we don’t need it [Cloud is the solution]

• We buy data from west and then claim to have secured it in procured hardware

• The people we are hiding data from, know micro level details of our society

• Stop creating portals and dashboards [Consolidate what we already have] –

let this rudimentary work happen in Private market

• Stop buying furniture and constructing building in the name of IT

• Stop giving 30K stipends to startups, it will not change anything

IN THE NAME OF Information Technology

Computer Hardware, Furniture, cars, bikes procurement and building construction must be banned at all

Govt DepartmentSolutions – Govt Role as Market Enabler

• Short term IT Policy (renewed every two year): Clear – 2 year – do able – IT

policy with tangible and realistic targets – than just a long Wishlist

• Long Term IT Vision for five years

• Embed IT as a cross cutting theme in every Sector – Not as add-on – P&D to

take lead

• Ensure that ground is fertile – Engaging private sector [They are having serious

problems]

• Engage International IT giants [Oracle, IBM, Microsoft, AliBaba, Amazon,

Facebook] – our IT experts will be able to create products around their products

– these will have international value and increase tradeSolutions – Govt Role as Market Enabler

• Create encouraging environment for IT giants to establish their data centers in

Pakistan

• Design and encourage PPP mode in IT Sector and IT ideas

• Schemes and grants aimed at laying the foundations for Pakistan to evolve

innovation and start-up

• Provide necessary infrastructure for start-ups – Provide backbone digital

services and environment as opposed to furniture, building, 30K stipend to

start-upsSolutions – Govt Role as Market Enabler

• Academies needs serious attention – from 2nd year in university our students

need to be engaged in industry assignments than just reading books and doing

class projects

• Integrate RnD with Industry + involve our premier institutions – GIK, FAST,

NUST, LUMS

• Build a center of excellence in emerging technologies and trends – Integrate

this at larger scale - establishing an eco-system of valuable IT products and

services• Data science and artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, the Internet

of Things (IoT), Blockchain and future communications infrastructure

such as 5G mobile networks.

• Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, IoT are the Revolution in next 10

years

• The next wave of opportunities and growth

• Shall be harnessed

• And be prepared for the kinds of disruptions that are up coming with it

Solutions – Focus areas for center of excellenceSolutions – Immediate Project

• Rent a Software Company Model : For Govt Software Development

• Rupee for Rupee Startup Support Model

• Citizen Digital Identity service – Backbone for digital economy and eGovernance

• Legislative up-gradations for IT Sector enablement

• Establishment of Center of ExcellenceAbout legislative issue

• There are and will be a need of serious legislative changes, we need a

dedicated team to handle those

• Unless we have legislative framework in place, every other

intervention(s) will be meaning less•“You can’t do it alone – you cannot be an

individual innovation star, there’s no such thing”

•“Nobody learns innovation in school.”