Pakistan, Russia identify IT opportunities in AI, cybersecurity, cloud

November 06, 2026 (MLN): Pakistan and Russia are moving to turn government-level trust in technology into company-level contracts. A shortlist of concrete opportunities in cybersecurity, enterprise software, AI and cloud has been drawn up, with firms on both sides ready to pursue pilot projects.

The shortlist came out of the Pakistan–Russia IT Collaboration Webinar, the third in the Pakistan–Russia Webinar Series. It was organised by the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), under the Ministry of IT & Telecommunication, with the University of World Civilizations Moscow (UWCM).

The event was held at the Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives in Islamabad, with Russian speakers joining from Moscow. Its theme was Building Technology Partnerships, Market Access and Joint Solutions, according to the press release.  

Rather than a broad conference, it brought together a focused group of leading companies and industry associations from both countries, each asked to bring specific capabilities and business needs.

Talks covered six areas where the two industries complement each other: AI and cloud computing; cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection; digital governance and digital public infrastructure; IT and IT-enabled services trade, investment and B2B cooperation; digital skills and workforce exchange; and quantum computing.

The push builds on Pakistan’s IT and telecom exports, which reached a record $4.6bn in FY2025-26, up about 20% from the previous year. The sector is now looking for new markets, new partners and higher-value work.

Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, the chief guest, said technology had become a key driver of Pakistan’s economic transformation.

He said E-Pakistan is one of five strategic pillars of URAAN Pakistan, the national economic transformation plan, which aims to build a $1tr economy by 2035.

He urged Pakistan and Russia to move beyond conventional cooperation towards technology-driven partnerships, joint ventures and globally competitive products and digital platforms.

He pointed to Pakistan’s talent base of more than 75,000 IT graduates a year, the target of developing one million AI professionals by 2030, and the setting up of seven new AI centers to strengthen research, innovation and industry linkages.

He said NADRA’s digital identity system is internationally recognised, and that the Raast instant payment system processed 646 million transactions in a single quarter.

The minister said Russia’s scientific and engineering foundations, combined with Pakistan’s skilled workforce and international IT delivery experience, could create mutually beneficial opportunities in AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity, digital governance and emerging technologies.

He called on companies from both countries to pursue commercially viable partnerships, joint solutions, market access and pilot projects. He said the initiative’s success would be measured by increased trade, investment, innovation and employment.

Russian Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media Bella Cherkesova gave the keynote from the Russian side on the Pakistan–Russia digital partnership, covering policy, investment and emerging technologies.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the Russian Federation, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, said relations had entered a “more mature and multidimensional phase”. He said technology and digital trade could become a new pillar of the economic partnership, and that the Mission in Moscow would work closely with PSEB to open doors for Pakistani companies in the Russian market.

PSEB CEO Faisal Jeddy presented Pakistan’s IT capabilities and a framework for commercial engagement, running from first contact to first contract: define the opportunity, match the right companies, agree a pilot, and name focal persons on both sides. “Partnerships rarely fail for lack of intent; they fail for lack of follow-up,” he said.

He added that every company that took part would leave with a defined opportunity, a named counterpart and a clear next step, and that PSEB would stay with them until the conversations become contracts.

The industry sessions turned the framework into specific proposals. In a session moderated by UWCM’s Dr. Roxolana Zigon, RUSSOFT President Valentin Makarov and PASHA Chairman Dr. Shoaib Ahmed Khan discussed linking the two software industries through structured partnerships and joint delivery. Dr. Irina Serenko examined the digital economy as a promising area for collaboration.

In a second session, moderated by PSEB’s Shahbaz Hameed, the speakers were Ebryx CEO Ahrar Naqvi, Positive Technologies Regional CEO Yegor Rykov, TMC Group CEO and MD Abdul Haseeb, and Russian Quantum Center Director Dr. Alexey Akimov.

They explored co-development in cybersecurity, enterprise software and FinTech, AI, cloud and emerging technologies, with joint delivery in Pakistan, Russia and third-country markets.

In his concluding remarks, IT & Telecommunication Secretary Zarrar Hasham Khan said the day had given “something more valuable than goodwill”.

He said the Ministry’s role now is to remove friction, from market intelligence and regulatory facilitation to visibility for Pakistani companies in the Russian market, so the first pilot projects can begin without delay. He said progress would be reviewed regularly with PSEB and partners.

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