As the trend of local manufacturing replaces imports in Pakistan’s mobile phone industry, the country sets ambitious targets for smartphone exports, aiming to reach $500 million in the next three years and $5 billion within five years.
With a population of over 241 million and approximately 189 million mobile phone users, Pakistan stands as the 7th largest market for cellular devices globally, with 78 percent of its population owning mobile phones.
In 2023, Pakistan produced 21.28 million phones while importing only 1.58 million, as reported by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).
Dr. Umar Saif, Pakistan’s IT minister, revealed plans for further growth, ensuring locally-made phones are more cost-effective compared to imports.
“We will also be announcing a plan to manufacture components in Pakistan (local deletion policy) and make the locally manufactured phones cheaper than imported phones using a tariff deferential policy,” Dr. Umar Saif stated after addressing the first Pakistan Mobile Summit in Islamabad.
According to Aamir Allawala, vice chairman of the Pakistan Mobile Phone Manufacturers Association (PMPMA), almost all mobile phone brands except iPhone are currently assembled in Pakistan. This shift has led to the creation of 40,000 jobs in the industry.
