NIC hosts 3rd graduation ceremony

PESHAWAR: National Incubation Center, Peshawar hosted its 3rd graduation ceremony on Wednesday to celebrate the achievements of its fifth and sixth cohort startups.

Minister for Finance & Health Taimur Jhagra was the chief guest at the ceremony. He was accompanied by the political leadership from KP, LMKT team and other dignitaries. An official statement said that NIC Peshawar is an initiative of the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication, funded by Ignite and operated by LMKT in collaboration with PTCL. It added that since its inception, NIC Peshawar has played a monumental role in the development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It has not only contributed to the growth of local startups but has also helped in uplifting the regional economy.

The startups that are graduating out of the fifth and sixth cohorts have built innovative and disruptive solutions for a diverse set of industries including education, health, e-commerce, lifestyle, transport, gaming, and delivery services.

These startups have created an unprecedented social impact by generating more than 1989 direct and 1790 indirect employment opportunities, raising more than Rs608 million in investments and registering a revenue growth over Rs403 million, it added.

Addressing the ceremony, Taimur Jhagra said: “The overall economic landscape of Pakistan is evolving and it gives me pride that these major shifts are taking place within KP. With the help of supporting policies established by the government, we look forward to seeing a significant boom in businesses, innovation and entrepreneurship.” Atif Raes Khan, CEO LMKT, said that seeing the progress of the NIC Peshawar’s startups is a reward for the LMKT team.

Asim Ishaq Khan, director NIC Peshawar, thanked all participants and guests for supporting and encouraging the graduating startups.

“The efforts and dedication of these innovators is impeccable. Entrepreneurship requires great resilience and these startups have shown nothing less. I am so proud to witness this day and see our startups grow bigger and bigger. NIC Peshawar is proud to be a key part of the entrepreneurial ecosystem and a nurturing partner for the startups,” he added.