TechLahore

Pakistan’s software and IT exports are now in excess of $1BN, and the size of the IT industry, which was reported to be about $2BN last year, has grown to $2.8BN. This was reported by The Daily Times in an article based on a PSEB study and an interview with Pakistan Association of Software Houses (PASHA) President, Jehanara.

Earlier this year, the PSEB (Pakistan Software Export Board) had commissioned a detailed study to calculate not only market size and export totals, but also to get a sense of how the software industry in Pakistan was performing across a variety of metrics, and what common problems were being faced by member companies. The consultants involved with the study sent out detailed questionnaires to registered software companies and spoke with many IT entrepreneurs in Pakistan. Additionally, to calculate exports records of receipts declared to be due to software exports with the State Bank of Pakistan were also used.

It is important to understand that this $1BN number represents more of a floor, or minimum, than an exact figure. There are many companies involved in software export that are not registered with the PSEB. There are several more that are not repatriating 100% of their earnings to their Pakistan HQs and others that are exporting composite products in which the software component is not separately identifiable. Exports by all of these are at least partially unaccounted for in the $1BN number.

For further background, take a look at our earlier reports on Pakistan’s IT industry size and growth.

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