The Institute of Business Administration, Karachi on Thursday organized a discourse on ‘Startup Landscape in Pakistan – Tales of Failures and Successes’.
This was third session conducted under the dialogue series ‘CEO Forum’, said an IBA release issued here.
The discussion was moderated by Assistant Professor and Director QEC, Dr Saima Husain, who was in conversation with founders and corporate leaders including Managing Director, Daraz, Ehsan Saya, CEO and Co-Founder of Oraan, Halima Iqbal, Co-Founder and Director, Telemart, Hamza Rauf and Co-founder, Airlift, Ahmed Ayub.
Attendees included students, faculty, academicians, media personnel, business owners, and members from the corporate sector.
Initiating the dialogue, Dr Saima Husain inquired about e-commerce, its relevance, significance in the local ecosystem, and its evolution over time.
Hamza Rauf provided insights into his journey, his early start due to family circumstances, and his understanding of e-commerce holding a miniscule share locally and as compared to other countries.
He said that e-commerce couldn’t grow in isolation and that all systems, infrastructures and technologies must make it easier to operate.
Ahmed Ayub voiced that there was no concept of e-commerce back in the day.
He mentioned that ecommerce flourished during Covid. He reflected on the Karachi market and how different it is, there are problems that need solutions across the board.
He said, “If we are not bogged down by setbacks and have the determination to do something to create mass level impact, then there are a lot of things that can be done.”
Dr Saima Husain asked whether the underserved in society refer to the female segment, to which Halima Iqbal pointed out the disparity in banking use between the genders. She added that this was due to the socio-cultural factors and widespread mistrust of the formal economy.
Ehsan Saya highlighted the wealth of knowledge and investment that Alibaba has obtained through the acquisition of Daraz.
He pointed out that their business is data-driven and quick to assess and analyze failures and offset them in a timely manner.
Fahad is an entrepreneur and a marketing enthusiast who loves to write on trending topics. He loves travelling & playing tennis is what he does in his leisure time. He tweets @fahad164.
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