Director Entrepreneurship Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) and the brain behind Pakistan's 1st ever business reality television show Idea Croron Ka, Nabeel A. Qadeer said this while talking to Business Recorder. He said that it was encouraging that for 10th cycle more than 1000 applications received and among them 100 were shortlisted for competition, which resulted in sixteen declared successful for the 10th Launchpad for incubation, which is the future of Pakistan.
Nabeel said, "When Plan9 was established acting on the vision of Dr Umar Saif, Chairman PITB, people came in with dreams which looked improbable but we are proud that we were able to establish a platform through which they could realize their dreams. This is a platform which allows, a common Pakistani a chance to make their mark in the world. I hope the entrepreneurial ecosystem flourishes and we get to see Pakistani startups making it big in the world."
He also said Plan9 continues to strive for the betterment of the entrepreneurial culture and in order to contribute towards a thriving eco-system of tech entrepreneurship, has undertaken various country-wide initiatives, which includes incubation model adopted by Plan9 is one of a kind, a tailor-designed process that is aimed at fostering our startups alone. Unlike other incubators, we take absolutely no equity. We accept teams that are well integrated and working on a tech based product.
At Plan9, we provide an environment conducive to the success of a startup that resolves all aforementioned predicaments. The incubated teams besides developing their products are rigorously engaged in training, mentoring and product review sessions. Talking about Global Partnerships Nabeel said, "We have partnerships with multiple international institutions including ATX+PAK where every 6 months, 5-6 entrepreneurs go on a training to Austin and meet with professional mentors, potential investors and network with other entrepreneurs and explore the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Austin."
While talking about creating awareness among the young generation he said that he has started hosting Pakistan's first ever business reality show on a private TV channel. According to him he got overwhelming response from the audience especially from the young people.
Nabeel is better known for his exceptional work in promoting Entrepreneurship in Pakistan through PITB's platform. He is leading the initiative as the anchor person & content producer of the show. While talking to Nabeel Qadeer about this, he had a lot of positive views to share. He said, "Pakistani youth needs to see relatable stories of young Entrepreneurs. It is these entrepreneurs who will transform Pakistan and television is the best medium to bring them into limelight."
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017