Pakistan announces $20 million venture fund, new programme to advance robotics and AI

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday announced a $20 million Pakistan Venture Fund and the Spark and Elevate programme to support robotics, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the Indus RAS – Robotics and Autonomous Systems Expo 2026, the prime minister said the programme would help convert Pakistani research into commercially viable technologies, globally competitive businesses and highly productive jobs.

The Pakistan Venture Fund will begin with an initial government commitment of $20 million to encourage investment in the country’s technology ecosystem.

Shehbaz Sharif called for universities, research and development centres, startups, industries and farmers to become part of a national innovation network focused on developing and retaining indigenous knowledge and technological capabilities.

He said robotics and autonomous systems should not remain limited to advanced economies, major corporations or large cities, but should benefit farmers, small businesses, women entrepreneurs, young innovators and underserved communities in Pakistan and the wider Global South.

The prime minister also called for clear ethical and regulatory frameworks to ensure autonomous systems remain safe, secure and transparent.

He described the Indus RAS Expo as part of Pakistan’s efforts to develop technologies expected to shape the global economy during the 21st century. The event followed the Indus AI Summit hosted by Pakistan earlier this year.

Shehbaz Sharif said emerging technologies were already being used in agriculture to address water shortages, rising input costs, fragmented landholdings and climate-related challenges. He added that autonomous systems could also support rescue and relief operations when conventional infrastructure was damaged.

The prime minister said Pakistan had made progress in indigenous defence and security technologies under the leadership of Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.

He said some simulators displayed at the event had been entirely manufactured and assembled in Pakistan, while locally developed drones had achieved more than 60% indigenisation.

Referring to last year’s Marqa-e-Haq, he said Pakistan’s armed forces had used advanced autonomous systems to protect the country’s physical and cyber frontiers. 

The ceremony was attended by Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, federal ministers, technology experts, industrialists, entrepreneurs, foreign delegates, companies and students.

Minister for IT Shaza Fatima Khawaja said Pakistan intended to develop complete domestic value chains for robotics and artificial intelligence as part of the Digital Nation Pakistan initiative.

She said the government was working to create a supportive environment for startups, investors and young technology professionals to compete internationally.

According to the minister, Pakistan’s information and communications technology exports grew by nearly 21% during the year. She added that the country had moved up 14 places in the E-Government Development Index and 27 positions in the International Telecommunication Union’s ICT Development Index.