Google has revealed that addressing the digital skills gap through training and increasing the use of educational technologies could contribute Rs. 2.8 trillion to Pakistan’s GDP by 2030. This announcement was made during the Agay Barho: A Google for Pakistan event in Islamabad, where Google reiterated its commitment to empowering Pakistan’s digital economy.
A newly released report by Access Partnership, titled Agay Barho: Empowering Pakistan’s Digital Economy, highlights the potential for digital skills investment and export growth to bolster the country’s economic recovery. Despite current challenges, Pakistan’s IT sector has shown resilience, with IT services exports growing by 2.7 times since 2014, accounting for 35% of all service exports in 2023.
The report also projects that by 2030, digital technologies will increase Pakistan’s digital export value by Rs. 1.8 trillion annually. This growth will be driven by sectors such as mobile applications, online video services, cross-border digital advertising, and e-commerce, which could see even greater success with the right policies in place.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is seen as a key factor in enhancing exports, creating new opportunities, and opening up access to international markets.
During the event, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication, commended Google’s contributions, noting that the company provided over 960,000 jobs to Pakistani youth in 2023 alone. Farhan S. Qureshi, Google Pakistan’s Country Director, shared that Google’s AI-powered tools generated Rs. 3.9 trillion for the national economy last year. Google’s services, including Search, Ads, Cloud, and YouTube, contributed Rs. 2.6 trillion to business activity, with Rs. 249 billion sourced from overseas markets.
Google also launched initiatives such as the Google AI Essentials skilling program, the Career Kamyabi project in collaboration with TechValley, and a freelancer skilling program with PAFLA, which has trained over 10,000 freelancers across the country. These programs aim to support workforce development, particularly for women and freelancers, as part of Pakistan’s digital transformation.