{"id":101988,"date":"2025-04-21T11:37:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-21T06:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/?p=101988"},"modified":"2025-04-22T13:10:59","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T08:10:59","slug":"it-export-growth-streak-hits-18-months-high","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zameen.com\/news\/it-export-growth-streak-hits-18-months-high.html","title":{"rendered":"IT exports hit 18-month high as March sets new record"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Karachi: Pakistan\u2019s technology sector continued its upward trajectory in March 2025, setting a new benchmark with IT exports reaching $342 million\u2014the highest monthly total in the country\u2019s history, according to figures released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The March numbers reflect a 12% increase both year-on-year and month-on-month, and surpass the 12-month trailing average of $311 million, signaling sustained global demand and effective policy support at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read: IT sector seeks 10-yr tax relief to stay globally competitive<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This latest surge extends Pakistan\u2019s IT export growth streak to 18 consecutive months, a trend that began in October 2023. Total exports for the first nine months of FY2025 (July\u2013March) now stand at $2.8 billion, up 24% year-on-year, putting the sector on track to exceed the $3.5\u2013$3.7 billion full-year projection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysts attribute the strong performance to a combination of regulatory reforms, currency stability, and increased international presence of Pakistani tech firms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A key catalyst has been SBP\u2019s decision to raise the foreign currency retention limit for IT exporters from 35% to 50%, allowing companies to hold earnings in Specialised Foreign Currency Accounts. This change has empowered firms to reinvest in international operations and manage global expansion more efficiently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, the introduction of a new Equity Investment Abroad (EIA) category enables IT firms to acquire stakes in foreign ventures using retained earnings, further boosting competitiveness in markets across the Gulf region and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read: Pakistan to push exports to USD 60 bn, focus on IT & agriculture<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to a survey by the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA), 62% of local IT firms are now actively using these specialised accounts\u2014a sign of the sector\u2019s growing financial maturity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Net IT exports (after deducting sector imports) rose to $311 million in March, up 13% YoY and 12% MoM, indicating better profitability and reduced reliance on imported software and services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the government targeting $10 billion in annual IT exports by FY2029 under its \u2018Uraan Pakistan\u2019 economic initiative, analysts say the sector would need to maintain a 28% CAGR over the next four years\u2014a challenge, but not an impossibility given current momentum. Brokerage firm Topline Research remains optimistic, identifying Systems Limited (SYS) as a top sector pick. The company is currently trading at 13.4x and 10.1x forward P\/E multiples for 2025 and 2026, respectively, offering potential upside as Pakistan\u2019s digital economy matures.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Karachi: Pakistan\u2019s technology sector continued its upward trajectory in March 2025, setting a new benchmark with IT exports reaching $342 million\u2014the highest monthly total in the country\u2019s history, according to figures released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). The March numbers reflect a 12% increase both year-on-year and month-on-month, and surpass the 12-month trailing average of $311 million, signaling sustained global demand and effective policy support at home. Read: IT sector seeks 10-yr tax relief to stay globally competitive This latest surge extends Pakistan\u2019s IT export growth streak to 18 consecutive months, a trend that began in October 2023. Total exports for the first nine months of FY2025 (July\u2013March) now stand at $2.8 billion, up 24% year-on-year, putting the sector on track to exceed the $3.5\u2013$3.7 billion full-year projection. Analysts attribute the strong performance to a combination of regulatory reforms, currency stability, and increased international presence of Pakistani tech firms. A key catalyst has been SBP\u2019s decision to raise the foreign currency retention limit for IT exporters from 35% to 50%, allowing companies to hold earnings in Specialised Foreign Currency Accounts. This change has empowered firms to reinvest in international operations and manage global expansion more efficiently. Additionally, the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":101433,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15017],"tags":[63998,64002,63997,64004,61439,64001,61049,63999,62639,61358,64003,63996,64000,63324,64005,63991,63994,63992,63993,6066,62640,63995],"persona":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-101988","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-notices-announcements","8":"tag-currency-stability","9":"tag-equity-investment-abroad","10":"tag-export-growth-streak","11":"tag-financial-maturity","12":"tag-fiscal-year-2025","13":"tag-foreign-currency-retention","14":"tag-global-demand","15":"tag-it-export-forecast","16":"tag-it-export-growth","17":"tag-it-exports","18":"tag-it-industry-competitiveness","19":"tag-it-sector-performance","20":"tag-it-sector-reforms","21":"tag-march-2025","22":"tag-net-it-exports","23":"tag-pakistan-digital-economy","24":"tag-pakistan-software-houses-association","25":"tag-pakistan-technology-sector","26":"tag-record-it-exports","27":"tag-sbp","28":"tag-systems-limited","29":"tag-uraan-pakistan-initiative","30":"cat-15017-id"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nIT export growth streak hits 18 months high - 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