Engineering Post Report
There were more than 4641 IT/ITeS (Informational Technology Enabled Services) companies registered under Public Sector Enterprises Board (PSEB) as of end March 2021.
Under the DigiSkills program being executed by Ignite till recently, more than 1.5 million students had been trained in various IT courses, according to the available information. The total earnings by freelancers was expected to cross US $ 350 million by end of June 30 marking the end of last financial year 2020-21.
Besides, in the National Incubation Centres (NICs) established in 5 cities across the country, around 650 + start-ups/incubates were developing various marketable innovative products and services.
In telecommunication sector, as of March 2021, cellular tele-density had increased from 79 per cent to around 85 per cent. The 3G/4G broadband services had also further increased subscribers from 81 million to 98 million.
For financial year 2020-21, an amount of Rs 16.8 billion was allocation for Information Technology (IT), telecommunication and space technology related projects. Most of the projects were sponsored and executed by the Minister of Information Technology & Telecommunication with an allocation of Rs 6.7 billion and its subsidiary organizations, whereas space technology projects were executed by SUPARCO with allocation of Rs 5 billion. Additionally, Rs 5 billion were also allocated to Information Technology related projects of other ministries, organizations which included the Higher Education Commission, Interior Division, Law and Justice Division, Finance Division, Defence Division, Establishment Division and Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives.
Some of the major projects executed in the Information Technology and Telecommunication sector during 2020-21 included National Freelance Imparted Training Programme all over Pakistan, Feasibility Study for “Establishment of National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI)”, Establishment of National Centers of Excellence in Cyber Security, GIS and Space Application, Big Data and Cloud Computing, IoTs, Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security and Robotics & Automation, Geospatial Monitory of Major and High Value Crops and Cadastral Mapping would bring security and correctness to the land records in the urban centres by conducting comprehensive survey and using technology, the sources maintained.
