ISLAMABAD: The Zindigi Prize - Pakistan’s largest social entrepreneurship programme for over 100 universities, with Rs 5 million prizes and Rs 30 million scholarships, was formally launched at the National Incubation Centre (NIC) here on Saturday.

It’s a year-long Startup Case Challenge for university students to bring sustainable ideas towards execution. The aim is to bring public-private sectors in collaboration for wider reach and awareness in line with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that can help meet the targets by 2030.

Noman Azhar, Chief Officer, Zindigi, said that Zindigi by JS Bank is a Financial Services App, a digital bank for Millennials and Gen Z. Pakistani startup ecosystem is on the rise and Zindigi Prize is likely to play a key role in attracting Millennials and Gen Z towards self-employment & entrepreneurship.

Dr Shaista Sohail, Executive Director, HEC was Chief Guest of the occasion. She highlighted in her KeyNote that Universities can be engine of innovation & economic growth. How to make Universities as Engines of Innovation? Through creating a culture of innovation & entrepreneurship. Zindigi Prize is an effort toward creating a culture of innovation & entrepreneurship. She encouraged the private sector industry to work with academia for economic transformation.

Aisha Humera Chaudhry, Additional Secretary (IT &Telecom) was Guest of Honor. She highlighted that Pakistan needs an vibrant Startup Ecosystem to solve local problems. She further added that Govt is providing policy support to startup ecosystem and specially IT startups. Pakistan can have a $10B IT exports in near future.

Imran Jattala, CEO, Innovators Garage highlighted the Zindigi Prize can be gamechange for Pakistan. Zindigi Prize can transform Pakistani Higher education sector into an engine for economic growth. This would lead to building a Pakistan Top-50 Innovative Nation and $500 billion Innovation Economy by 2030.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022