Pakistan’s Large Scale Manufacturing is up by 8.3%

Pakistan’s industrial engine picked up pace in October 2025, as large-scale manufacturing output climbed 8.3 percent from a year earlier and 3.7 percent compared to September. Provisional figures based on the 2015–16 benchmark show the Quantum Index of Manufacturing rising to 118.43 in October. Over the first four months of FY26, the index has averaged 115.16, translating into cumulative growth of just over 5 percent, according to Topline Securities. The rebound was powered by a sharp revival in automobiles, where production jumped 65 percent year-on-year in October and nearly 79 percent during July–October FY26. Petroleum products followed with close to 49 percent growth in October, while cement, beverages and wearing apparel also posted solid gains. Cement output expanded by about 12.7 percent in October and more than 14 percent on a cumulative basis. Automobiles, petroleum products, cement, garments and food collectively accounted for most of the sector’s growth in the first four months of the fiscal year. Not all segments shared in the recovery. Pharmaceutical manufacturing contracted by around 12 percent in October, while leather products also remained in the red. Chemicals, iron and steel, machinery and furniture continued to exert downward pressure.