ISLAMABAD, Dec 18 (APP):Kamyab Jawan Wednesday launched ‘Startup Pakistan Programme’ at Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University (SBBWU) Peshawar aimed to develop a national startup ecosystem that would provide one million young people training in entrepreneurship.
It would also launch 10,000 startups by 2023, as well as create jobs and economic activity in an inclusive, scalable, and sustainable way, said a press release issued here.
Startup Pakistan was a leading initiative of Kamyab Jawan Program by the government of Pakistan aimed to connect whole ecosystem through a single digital platform, breaking silos, exchanging knowledge, and providing access to funding and investment through a single window.
Event’s Chief Guest Provincial Minister for Tourism, Culture, Sports, Museum and Archaeology and Youth Affairs inaugurated the pilot programme of Startup Pakistan. During his speech, he highlighted the importance of startups in creating jobs and economic activity.
He said that Pakistan was one of the countries with huge potential of economic growth due to presence of a large number of young people. Tourism would also be a flourishing startup industry in near future, he added.
In her welcome address, SBBWU Peshawar’s Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Razia Sultana shared her views on entrepreneurship. As technologies create new opportunities, startups take advantage of these opportunities, creating massive value over mature businesses, she added.
Focal person for Startup Pakistan, Shahzad Gul in his address said that Startup Pakistan would connect whole ecosystem through a single digital platform, breaking silos, exchanging knowledge, and providing access to funding/Investment through a single frame.
Startup Pakistan was focusing on change of culture through promotion of innovation and entrepreneurship as a career choice, engaging overseas Pakistanis in mentoring the generation next. He said that the programme would make the trainees “job providers” and not “seekers”. This programme offers funding, mentorship, training, and a variety of perks and benefits aimed at the provision of facilities to entrepreneurs, he added.
Hassan Syed, Co-Host of the event, Chairperson Bir Ventures and founder of IdeaGist, invited the younger generation to innovate in order to get ahead in the knowledge economy. Bir Ventures is a major supporter of Startup Pakistan by providing its world’s largest digital incubation platform, IdeaGist, he added.
Syed explained that the pilot project is being held in 8 cities as a collaboration between universities and Bir Ventures (IdeaGist).
He said that the initiative would help create jobs and enhance economic activities in the country in an inclusive, scalable and sustainable way.