Pakistan’s IT Sector Surges as PSEB Certifies Dozens of Companies, Trains Thousands, and More

The Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) has certified 40 IT and IT-enabled Services (ITeS) companies under the ISO27001 and ISO27701 standards. Of these companies, 18 are located in Islamabad, 16 in Punjab, and six in Sindh. Additionally, 8,600 candidates received specialized training and certifications under the “Certification of IT Professionals” program. These include 1,846 individuals in ICT, 2,450 in Punjab, 2,270 in Sindh, 969 in Balochistan, 893 in KPK, and 172 in GB. Capacity-building initiatives have also grown, with 2,700 fresh graduates placed in internships under the “ICT Internship Program.” This includes 1,517 interns in Punjab and ICT, 197 in Sindh, 170 in Balochistan, 612 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 204 in Gilgit-Baltistan. As part of its efforts to standardize the country’s customer support industry, PSEB has also provided financial and technical support to 31 call centers to help them achieve ISO 18295 certification. These certified call centers include seven in Islamabad, 19 in Punjab, and five in Sindh. The certification is meant to improve service quality, ensure customer protection, and increase operational efficiency for both domestic and international contact center operations. PSEB has also facilitated the enlistment of Pakistani IT companies on the GEM Board of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX). The initiative is intended to increase the number of listed tech firms on both the Main Board and the GEM Board, helping strengthen the financial ecosystem of the IT and ITeS sector. The Board expects that greater market visibility will boost investor confidence and enhance the global perception of Pakistan’s technology industry. Alongside these efforts, PSEB has expanded nationwide infrastructure by establishing 25 Software Technology Parks (STPs). These include 14 in Punjab and Islamabad, four in Sindh, one in Balochistan, four in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and two in Gilgit-Baltistan. The STPs are designed to support growth for startups, SMEs, and established tech companies.