By Pakistan and Russia today brought their technology industries face to face with a clear objective: to turn the trust built between the two governments into contracts between their companies.
The Pakistan–Russia IT Collaboration Webinar, the third in the Pakistan–Russia Webinar Series, was organised by the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), under the Ministry of IT & Telecommunication, in collaboration with the University of World Civilizations Moscow (UWCM). Held at the Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives in Islamabad, with Russian speakers joining from Moscow, the event was built around a single theme: Building Technology Partnerships, Market Access and Joint Solutions. Instead of a broad conference, PSEB and UWCM convened a focused group of leading companies and industry associations from both countries, each invited to bring specific capabilities and specific business needs.
Discussions centred on six areas where the two industries complement each other: AI and cloud computing; cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection; digital governance and digital public infrastructure; IT and IT-enabled services trade, investment and B2B cooperation; digital skills and workforce exchange; and quantum computing.
Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal, said that technology had emerged as a key driver of Pakistan’s economic transformation and offered significant opportunities to deepen Pakistan–Russia cooperation. Addressing the Pakistan–Russia IT Collaboration Webinar as Chief Guest, he said that under URAAN Pakistan, the country’s national economic transformation plan, E-Pakistan was one of the five strategic pillars, with the ambition of building a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2035.
He emphasised that Pakistan and Russia should move beyond conventional cooperation towards technology-driven partnerships, joint ventures and the development of globally competitive products and digital platforms. He highlighted Pakistan’s growing IT talent pool, with more than 75,000 IT graduates annually, the target of developing one million AI professionals by 2030, and the establishment of seven new AI centers to strengthen research, innovation and industry linkages.
The Minister said that the NADRA’s digital identity system is internationally recognised and Raast, our instant payment system processed 646 million transaction in a single quarter reflecting Pakistan’s growing capabilities in digital innovation and financial technology. He observed that Russia’s strong scientific and engineering foundations, combined with Pakistan’s skilled human resources and international IT delivery experience, could create mutually beneficial opportunities in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity, digital governance and emerging technologies.
Emphasizing the need to translate dialogue into tangible economic outcomes, he called upon technology companies from both countries to pursue commercially viable partnerships, joint solutions, market access and pilot projects. He said the real success of the initiative would be measured through increased trade, investment, innovation and employment opportunities, adding that technology could become a defining new chapter in the longstanding Pakistan–Russia partnership.
The ambition is grounded in performance. Pakistan’s IT and telecom exports reached a record USD 4.6 billion in FY2025-26, growth of around 20 percent over the previous year, and the sector is now looking for new markets, new partners and higher-value work.
Ms. Bella Cherkesova, Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation , delivered the keynote address from the Russian side on the Pakistan–Russia digital partnership, covering policy, investment and emerging technologies.
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the Russian Federation, said:
“Pakistan–Russia relations have entered a more mature and multidimensional phase. Technology and digital trade can become a new pillar of our economic partnership, and our Mission in Moscow will work closely with PSEB to open doors for Pakistani companies in the Russian market.”
Presenting Pakistan’s IT capabilities and a framework for commercial engagement, Mr. Faisal Jeddy, CEO of PSEB, set out a clear path from first contact to first contract: define the opportunity, match the right companies, agree a pilot, and assign named focal persons on both sides
. “Partnerships rarely fail for lack of intent; they fail for lack of follow-up,” he said. “That is the gap PSEB intends to close. Every company that engaged today will leave with a defined opportunity, a named counterpart and a clear next step, and PSEB will stay with them until those conversations become contracts.”
The industry sessions that followed turned that framework into specific proposals. In a session moderated by Dr. Roxolana Zigon of UWCM, RUSSOFT President Mr. Valentin Makarov and P@SHA Chairman Dr. Shoab Ahmed Khan discussed connecting the two software industries through structured partnerships and joint delivery, while Dr. Irina Serenko examined the digital economy as a promising sector for collaboration. In a session moderated by Mr. Shahbaz Hameed of PSEB, Mr. Ahrar Naqvi (CEO, Ebryx), Mr. Yegor Rykov (Regional CEO, Positive Technologies), Mr. Abdul Haseeb (Group CEO & MD, TMC) and Dr. Alexey Akimov (Director, Russian Quantum Center) explored co-development in cybersecurity, enterprise software and FinTech, AI, cloud and emerging technologies, with joint delivery in Pakistan, Russia and third-country markets.
In his concluding remarks, Mr. Zarrar Hasham Khan, Secretary, Ministry of IT & Telecommunication, said:
“Today has given us something more valuable than goodwill: a shortlist of concrete opportunities in cybersecurity, enterprise software, AI and cloud, with companies on both sides ready to pursue them. The Ministry’s role now is to remove friction, from market intelligence and regulatory facilitation to visibility for our companies in each other’s markets, so that the first pilot projects can begin without delay. We will review progress with PSEB and our partners regularly, because momentum, once lost, is hard to regain.”
