Google has announced plans to produce 500,000 Chromebooks in Pakistan by 2026, starting with the presentation of the first locally-made Chromebook to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday.
At a ceremony in Islamabad, Scott Beaumont, President of Google Asia Pacific (APAC), handed over the Chromebook to PM Shehbaz.
The prime minister praised Google’s contributions both globally and in Pakistan. He emphasized that Pakistan’s young generation has immense potential in information technology, which could significantly boost the country’s economic growth.
PM Shehbaz urged the federal and provincial governments to use all available resources to educate and empower the youth. He also announced a target of $25 billion in IT exports over the next five years, describing the goal as achievable.
He called on IT experts and entrepreneurs to propose plans to help meet this target while supporting small and medium-sized enterprises and freelancers. Additionally, PM Shehbaz expressed his commitment to making Pakistan’s governance paperless and digitized to combat corruption.
Minister of State for IT and Telecom, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, highlighted Google’s role in Pakistan’s digitization efforts, aligning with the prime minister’s vision.
Google Regional Director for Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, Farhan S. Qureshi, said the technology could drive economic growth, particularly benefiting freelancers in Pakistan.
Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal attended the event.
