Air Link to start assembling Acer laptops in Pakistan

It could be nothing, or it could be the start of something.

Air Link Communication, the Lahore-based retailer, distributor, and assembler of Chinese cellphones in Pakistan, announced last week that it had entered a partnership to start assembling Acer laptops within the next year.  

The agreement was signed with Acer Gadget Inc., a subsidiary of the Taiwanese tech giant Acer Inc., to assemble and distribute Acer’s latest lineup of laptops, tablets, and all-in-one devices in Pakistan. Acer is the fifth largest computer manufacturer in the world, with a 6% global market share, according to data compiled by data firm Canalys.

The partnership, officially announced in a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange, grants Airlink exclusive rights to assemble Acer's products at its state-of-the-art facility in Lahore. Airlink’s management is optimistic, projecting monthly sales of 10,000 units with an annual revenue target ranging between Rs15-20 billion. Production is set to kick off in the second quarter of 2025, with a focus on laptops initially, before expanding into tablets.

This is, on the surface, a very big deal. It is not the first time a Pakistani company has started assembling laptops inside the country. Haier Pakistan has a small laptop assembly business based out of its plant in Lahore as well. But come one, when was the last time you heard of someone buying a Haier laptop? Acer, on the other hand, is one of the biggest names in the business worldwide. If Acer laptops start getting assembled in Pakistan, that has to mean something significant, right?

Maybe, maybe not.