Author: manager

The birth of Pakistan’s first PC brand, INBOX

 

An idea to introduce a reliable brand of locally-assembled computers that was floated one evening between three friends, was executed within six months with the creation of Inbox Business Technologies in February 2002.

Mir Nasir, the current CEO of Inbox, was one of the three founders when the company was set up over 15 years ago.
Prior to Inbox, Nasir managed his own small-sized computer assembly business which was later integrated with the Inbox technical team. Despite the presence of leading multinational brands, locally assembled, non-branded personal computers were a rage in the 90s and the first half of the 2000-2010.

In the initial years of Inbox, Mir Nasir headed the technical operations and rose to become the CEO in 2015, replacing his predecessor Ghias Khan. Khan is now the President of Engro Corp, one of the largest industrial groups in the country.

Inbox today is a foremost technology company in the country and has moved away from being a system assembler or integrator. However, its foundations remain embedded in the original thought, which is to be a prominent name in computing technologies in Pakistan and beyond.

Here Mir Nasir shares with VCast Online about how Pakistan’s first PC brand came into being.

You can find this video and other interviews of CEOs on our YouTube channel. Subscribe to learn more about entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in Pakistan.

 

 

Here’s how to pitch your startup to investors

 

When pitching your startup idea to a potential investor or someone in a position to help, these few moments could be the make of break moment for your venture. Don’t take them lightly.

For impact, prepare an effective “elevator pitch” that is clear and concise.

Watch this video for tips on how to perfect your pitch, and of course, its delivery. You can find this video and other informational stories that may help you in your journey as an entrepreneur on our Youtube channel. Subscribe to keep learning about entrepreneurship and launching your own startup

 

 

This Pakistani steel manufacturer won a global art award

 

Sprawled over a 48-acre plot in Karachi’s Landi Area, International Steel Limited (ISL)  is not your average steel manufacturer. The producer of galvanised and cold-rolled steel has experienced remarkable growth since it started production in 2010.

It has doubled its capacity since then and plans to quadruple this value with its recent expansion. But the steel-maker is in our spotlight for demonstrating more than just growth.  

ISL shows how a manufacturing company can be a patron of the arts in Pakistan.

Watch this video to learn more about the company’s milestones, including its recent award-winning ISL Artists in Residence programme. In November last year, the company received the Corporate Art Award 2017 at the PPT Art Award held at the Ministry of Art and Culture in Rome, Italy.

According to ISL, “The Artists in Residence program was envisioned to provide an enabling environment for young and upcoming artists, in order to promote contemporary art in Pakistan.”

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If you love Pakistani cricket you know of this sports brand

 

The CA logo on cricket bats is among brand symbols that millions of Pakistanis are familiar with. But have you ever wondered what CA Sports stands for?

The company founded in 1958 was named after its founder Charaghdin Abdulrasheed. While best known for their cricket equipment, CA Sports started with producing wooden tennis rackets and it was not until 1965 that it started producing cricket bats.

One of the country’s oldest sports brands, CA Sports, has had several wins to its name. One of them was making Saleem Malik a brand representative, which made Malik the first international cricketer to sign on with CA Sports in the 1980s. Later in 1997, CA Sports had an even bigger win when it signed on Brian Lara, among the finest cricketers of all times.

CA Sports is headquartered in Sialkot, which is a hub for manufacturing sports and leather goods. The beginnings of the sports industry in the city can be traced to 1918 when a football supplied by a British Army personnel was re-stitched in Sialkot. After this, local production began in the city.

Today, Sialkot’s contribution to Pakistan’s exports is nearly $1.65 billion annually.

Watch VCast Online’s video on one of Pakistan’s oldest brands. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for this video and other stories on Pakistan’s manufacturing industry.

 

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This government-owned Pakistani company makes over $1.5 billion in revenue

 

One of Pakistan’s largest organisations, the Oil and Gas Development Company (OGDCL), does not sell any consumer goods or services. It is not a household name, yet it plays a critical role in providing backend energy and infrastructure support to the country.

Established in 1961, OGDCL, unlike many other government-owned entities, has managed to build itself a strong balance sheet and does not require continued budgetary support from the public exchequer.

The scale at which it invests in new exploration supports many businesses connected with the oil and gas industry. Besides being listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange, it has also been on the London Stock Exchange since December 2006.

Watch this video on OGDCL and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content on Pakistan’s state-owned enterprises.

 

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Education innovation: The story of Cedar College

 

CEO Bilal Hameed shares the story of setting up Cedar College, an A-level institute in Karachi, where a group of teachers partnered together to bring something new to private education in Pakistan. It’s a startup story that involves some sleepless nights, a long-term vision and a whole lot of commitment. 

Speaking to VCast Online, Hameed, a chemistry teacher whose teaching career started in 2003, shares what entrepreneurs can do to improve the state of education in Pakistan. Hear him out on how he thinks Pakistan can learn from India and countries in Africa to innovate education and learning in our country.

You can find this video and other interviews with entrepreneurs on our Youtube channel. Subscribe to learn more about innovation and technology.

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Startup ecosystems: What Pakistan needs to thrive

In the world of Startups, Silicon Valley is the master of the game having invented products like Apple and Facebook. But far away from San Francisco, the startup bug has not only bitten but also settled in Asia.

In the last decade, China has invested over $338 billion in local startups, with over $54 billion raised in new funding in 2017. China’s capital Beijing alone is home to nearly 7,000 startups and more than 40 unicorns – businesses with a valuation of more than $1 billion.

Startup funding has also spiralled in Indonesia in recent years and it is expected that the country will have over five startups with a value of over $1 billion by 2019.

Meanwhile, in India, there has been significant state support under the initiative ‘Startup India’. When the Narendra Modi government initiated the Startup India programme in 2016, just around 500 startups came on board. The year after, the number of startups had increased to 6,337, a significant 12-fold increase from a year ago. The plan for this year is more ambitious, with increased funding as well as more focus on women entrepreneurship.

In Pakistan too, the startup space is gaining momentum, with over 20 incubators and accelerators having emerged across the country in recent years. On the state level, National Incubation Centres have been established around Pakistan under public-private partnership. But in comparison to other countries in the region, we still have a long way to go.

Watch this VCast Online video on where Pakistan stands in the startup world and what we need for a thriving startup ecosystem.

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The people behind PSL and the $100m opportunity

 

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) is by far the most anticipated sporting event of the country that has brought back domestic cricket to our cricket crazed nation.

In February 2018, the Twenty20 tournament held its third series with most of the matches taking place in Sharjah and Dubai. Although the final was in Karachi and the semi-finals held in Lahore, for most Pakistanis, the PSL remained primarily a TV event broadcasted from the UAE.

This year’s PSL had six teams; among them Islamabad United, Peshawar Zalmi, Lahore Qalandars, Karachi Kings, Multan Sultan and Quetta Gladiators.

The final between Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United brought together thousands of fans to the National Stadium, Karachi, which saw some life after years of near abandonment.

First established in 1955, the National Stadium had not hosted an international match since 2009, when Pakistan played against Sri Lanka. Before this year’s PSL, the stadium, which has a capacity of over 34,000, went through some major overhaul and construction work after nearly 22 years. This was the impact of one match in Karachi.

PCB Chairman Najam Sethi earlier this year said that all matches for the fourth series, expected in February-March 2019, may be held in Pakistan, and VCast Online certainly hopes that is the case.

If security concerns and expense can be removed from the equation and the Pakistan Cricket Board can indeed bring all matches of the series to Pakistan, it would mean significant revenues for the team owners and also for the small businesses serving the cricket economy.

The gate money potential is the most significant contributor with projections of over $100 million.

Watch our video on the opportunity a PSL tournament in Pakistan could offer.

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