Pakistan Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in pakistan, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Computers and Peripherals
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Overview

(US$ Million)

Table: Total Market Size for 
Computers and Peripherals
 2020202120222023* (Estimated)
Total Local Production1.001.200.950.70
Total Exports0.000.00.00.0
Total Imports395.73414.78443.81355.04
Imports from the US46.5548.1752.9842.38
Total Market Size396.73415.98444.76313.36
Exchange Rates158.82159.02210.17297.26

Due to the global pandemic and prevailing domestic macroeconomic challenges, Pakistan’s market for computers and peripherals has seen a nominal growth trajectory during the last fiscal year. With virtually no domestic production, the country relies heavily on imports. The local market is generally receptive to U.S. brands, mainly due to the quality and reliability of their products; however, other foreign brands from Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, and China offer strong competition. Major U.S. brands such as Dell, Apple, Hewlett Packard, Intel, Microsoft, and Cisco have established a strong presence in Pakistan.

The information technology (IT) in Pakistan has seen an overall stable performance in growth during the last year. Despite overall macroeconomic pressures, the computers and peripherals sector has retained its position as a major prospective sector for the U.S. companies. The public and private sectors in Pakistan place a high priority on the introduction, availability, and utilization of computers and other IT equipment in routine and critical workflows. The Government of Pakistan (GOP) through the National IT Policy emphasizes computer availability, usage, connectivity, and skills development. In addition, the GOP has launched several projects and incentive schemes to ensure the widespread availability of computers to local consumers. Some of the initiatives include the development of software technology parks; special technology zones; the provision of demand-based training; increasing internet penetration through multiple mediums including broadband, wireless broadband, and fiber optic; research and development; digitization of public-sector records, technology incubation centers; and training and skills development centers. According to industry expectations, the demand for IT equipment related to the cyber security sub-sector is also expected to grow by at least 3 percent in the next few years.

The primary users of computers and peripherals in Pakistan are private businesses; IT services companies, software development houses, call centers, Business Process Outsourcers (BPOs), internet service providers, public and private sector incubation centers, educational institutions, freelance developers, and private users. There are more than 3,000 IT and IT-enabled companies, employing over 100,000 qualified IT professionals in Pakistan. Software development including specialized application development has emerged as a major business sub-sector during the last several years. According to the latest statistics, there are approximately 25,000 qualified professionals associated with this sub-sector and this number is expected to grow at an annual rate of 3-4 percent in the coming years.

According to industry experts, the increasing demand for computers and peripherals in Pakistan is also attributed to wide-scale access to the internet and access to information through social media platforms. The local demand for internet and wireless broadband services and its associated equipment has seen significant growth in the past 10 years, which is expected to continue over the coming 4-5 years. There are currently 50 internet service providers operating countrywide, with over 100 million registered subscribers. Under the GOP’s broadband policy, the bandwidth tariff has been drastically reduced for high-speed internet services. 

Sub-Sectors

The most promising sub-sectors within Computers and Peripherals for FY 2024 are:

  • Personal Computers (New/Used)
  • Computer Laptops and Tablets (New/Used)
  • Computer Networking Equipment
  • Servers/Gateways
  • Wireless and Broadband Modems
  • Power Supplies/Battery Chargers
  • Wires, Cables, and Connecting Equipment
  • Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) / Light Emitting Diode (LED) Monitors

Opportunities

Despite weak economic growth, the past year has seen a growing trend of computer users, especially, at home using used/refurbished computers and laptops. This has resulted in a large influx of used computers, both branded and unbranded, into the local market. This trend has had only a minor impact on available international brands; however, corporations still prefer new and branded equipment, and these corporations traditionally make up the bulk of the market.

Resources

Ministry of Information Technology & Telecommunication

Pakistan Software Export Board

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