Focus on Export-Oriented Economy and Power Sector Indigenization

Federal Minister for Energy (Power Division), Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, stated on Saturday the government’s commitment to fostering an economy geared towards exports, shifting away from reliance on imports. He emphasized that localizing the power sector is now essential.

He further commented that improvements to the power sector are ongoing. The independent system and market operator is operating effectively, and the Energy Infrastructure Development and Management Company will soon be operational.

He delivered these remarks via video link at a national consultative workshop on the “Power Sector Indigenization Road Map.” The National Grid Company (NGC), formerly NTDC, and the LUMS (Lahore University of Management Sciences) Energy Institute jointly organized the workshop at the LUMS campus.

The event served as a platform for senior leaders from the power sector, manufacturing industry, regulatory organizations, policymakers, and academia to create a unified national strategy. Their goal is to expedite the localization of Pakistan’s electrical power equipment manufacturing sector.

The Federal Minister lauded the joint effort, saying, “NGC is the first national entity to implement an approved Indigenization Policy, and its strategic procurement model is already yielding considerable results.”

He urged WAPDA, DISCOs (Distribution Companies), KE (Karachi Electric), and both state-owned and private power generation facilities to embrace indigenization as a crucial strategy. This should not be viewed as CSR, but rather as a fundamental procurement principle aligned with the National Electricity Plan 2023–2027.

Launch of Power Equipment Manufacturing Dashboard

A key highlight of the workshop was the launch of Pakistan’s first Power Equipment Manufacturing Dashboard, created by the LUMS Energy Institute with insights from power sector stakeholders. This digital tool provides real-time monitoring of localization progress. It also assesses vendor capabilities and identifies potential strategic investment opportunities within the Power Sector Indigenization Plan (PSIP). Dr. Fiaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Chairman of the NGC Board of Directors, and Senior Advisor at the LUMS Energy Institute, along with Pakistan Engineering Council Chairman Engineer Waseem Nazir, Managing Director of NGC Engineer Muhammad Waseem Younas, CEO of K-Electric Syed Monis Abdullah Alvi, and other dignitaries, jointly inaugurated the dashboard.

Dashboard Benefits

The Federal Minister noted that the dashboard’s launch is a positive step that will facilitate power sector indigenization.

Dr. Fiaz Chaudhry remarked, “NGC’s indigenization strategy – built on policy reform and focused educational initiatives – has already saved over USD 10 million in foreign exchange through import substitution.”

He confirmed LUMS’s ongoing commitment to supporting policy development, digital innovation, and institutional changes in the energy sector. Pakistan’s current market for static transmission and substations is valued at approximately USD 8 million; however, this does not represent its full potential. He stated, “We must strive to expand this market at least threefold through strategic growth, innovation, and local industrial expansion.”

He further added, that, simultaneously, there should be a clear goal to reach at least USD 16 million in exports from this sector. That is the level of aspiration required to achieve a competitive position in the global market.