IT exports hit all-time high of $386m
- Due to expansion of client portfolios by local IT firms — particularly in GCC region — and SBP's facilitation measures
KARACHI: Pakistan’s information technology sector posted a record-breaking performance in October 2025, with monthly IT exports reaching an all-time high of USD386 million, according to data.
The figure reflects a growth of 17 percent year-on-year and 5 percent month-on-month, surpassing the 12-month average of USD332 million. This marks the fifth consecutive month of year-on-year expansion in the country’s IT export receipts since June 2025.
The strong October outturn lifted total IT exports for the first four months of FY26 to USD1.4 billion, representing a 20 percent increase compared with the same period last year. Average daily proceeds amounted to USD16.78 million in October, slightly above the USD16.64 million recorded in September.
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Industry specialists attributed the continued upward trajectory in October’s growth to multiple supportive factors, including expansion of client portfolios by local IT firms — particularly in the GCC region — and recent facilitation measures introduced by the State Bank of Pakistan. These include the enhancement of the permissible retention limit for exporters to 50 percent in Specialized Foreign Currency Accounts, along with approvals for equity investment abroad through these accounts. Relative stability in the exchange rate has also encouraged exporters to remit a higher share of their earnings into Pakistan.
Findings from a Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) survey indicated that 62 percent of IT companies are currently maintaining specialized foreign currency accounts, benefiting from the revised regulatory framework.
Net IT exports—defined as exports minus imports—amounted to US$335 million during October 2025, reflecting growth of 12 percent year-on-year and 2 percent month-on-month. The net figure also exceeded the 12-month average of USD292 million.
While the government has set an ambitious target of USD5 billion in IT exports for FY26, current trends suggest growth in the range of 18–20 percent, taking projected full-year exports to around USD4.5 billion compared with USD3.8 billion in FY25.
Under the “Uraan Pakistan” national economic plan, authorities have further outlined a long-term goal of USD10 billion in IT exports by FY29, implying a compound annual growth rate of 27 percent over the next four years.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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