ISLAMABAD: Chengdu, a leading Chinese company, has announced a significant investment of $700 million in Punjab’s IT and smart city initiatives. The announcement came during a high-level meeting between a Chinese delegation and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif in Islamabad.

The delegation included Chengdu’s General Coordinator for the ICT Hub, Ms. Scarlett, and Huawei’s Deputy CEO, Mr. Yu Ray.

The Punjab government has pledged land and infrastructure support for the transformative projects. Key initiatives include the launch of an e-taxi service and the establishment of state-of-the-art cloud and data centers at Lahore’s Nawaz Sharif IT City.

Under this collaboration, Pakistan’s first dedicated e-commerce platform will also be developed to train the country’s youth in global online trading. This initiative is poised to create economic opportunities and enhance digital economy skills.

Smart city projects for Lahore will feature a modern smart control room, enhanced traffic management systems, smart transportation networks, and advanced sanitation solutions, aimed at promoting sustainability and efficient urban governance.

The second phase of this collaboration will establish an artificial intelligence (AI) industry center, focusing on youth training in advanced AI technologies. This demonstrates a commitment by the Chinese government to foster technological progress and skill development in Punjab.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif emphasized her vision of making Punjab a regional IT hub and expressed optimism about the partnership with Chengdu and Huawei. This collaboration is set to drive technological innovation and elevate urban living standards across the province.

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