Mobile Phones

In 2019 Pakistan’s smartphone manufacturing industry was non-existent. An unfavorable tax structure incentivized importing completely built-up mobile phones compared to assembling locally. Therefore, nearly all smartphones sold in Pakistan were imported.

In June 2019 Tecno Group formed a joint venture with Transsion Holdings China, the world’s 4^th largest mobile company, to set-up Pakistan’s first smartphone manufacturing facility, with a capacity of 150,000 smartphones per month.

This facility, though just a first step, became a small but meaningful example of what was possible in Pakistan. It helped show that local manufacturing of mobile phones could work here, and in its own way, contributed to the conversations and efforts that eventually led to the introduction of the Mobile Device Manufacturing Policy.

Encouraged by the early progress, we rapidly expanded our efforts. In August 2020, we set up a second manufacturing facility, adding 8 production lines and 4 packing lines. This expansion increased the capacity to 800,000 smartphones per month and created employment opportunities for over 3,000 people. It was a significant step forward in strengthening the foundation of local mobile manufacturing in Pakistan.

We feel both proud and deeply humbled that our decision to take the lead—and the risk—as a first mover helped lay the foundation for an entirely new industry in Pakistan. What began as a single step has contributed to the creation of over 40,000 jobs across the mobile manufacturing ecosystem. We hope that our story inspires other local business groups to explore untapped opportunities, invest in local value creation, and contribute to building a more self-sufficient and forward-looking Pakistan.