Pakistan’s Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) has partnered with Meta to launch the Small Business Growth Academy, targeting more than 1,000 small businesses with practical training in digital platforms and AI-enabled tools as the government looks to accelerate SME digitalisation.
The programme will combine in-person and virtual workshops, structured learning modules and partner-led training to help entrepreneurs strengthen their digital presence, improve marketing, automate customer interactions and reach customers in domestic and international markets.
Particular emphasis will be placed on women-led businesses, while the programme will operate across nine major Pakistani cities.
More than 1,000 businesses targeted
The Small Business Growth Academy will provide market-oriented training focused on using Meta’s digital platforms and AI-enabled technologies for practical business applications.
Entrepreneurs will receive support in areas including customer acquisition, digital marketing, productivity and automated customer interactions, alongside identifying opportunities to expand into new markets.
The programme will be implemented by AtomCamp and supported by Ignite National Technology Fund, Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA), Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) and DialZero.
The combination brings together government technology institutions, industry organisations and private-sector technology expertise around SME digital development.
Academy to operate across nine Pakistani cities
Training will be delivered in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Multan, Hyderabad, Peshawar and Quetta.
The geographic footprint gives the initiative access to businesses operating across several of Pakistan’s major commercial and technology centres rather than concentrating training within the country’s largest cities alone.
Women-led businesses will receive particular attention, alongside entrepreneurs operating in sectors including textiles, handicrafts and IT services.
The focus could be particularly relevant for smaller businesses seeking to use digital channels to reach customers beyond their immediate geographic markets.
AI tools move into small business operations
The initiative demonstrates how Pakistan’s AI adoption agenda is extending beyond large enterprises and the technology industry.
AI-enabled business tools can increasingly assist smaller companies with marketing, customer communications and routine operational processes without requiring them to develop sophisticated AI infrastructure themselves.
For SMEs, the challenge is often less about accessing advanced technology and more about developing the practical knowledge required to apply readily available tools to business problems.
The Academy is designed to address this skills layer through practical training.
“Small and medium-sized enterprises are the backbone of Pakistan’s economy, and empowering them with digital and AI capabilities is central to the Prime Minister’s vision of an inclusive, innovation-driven future,” Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Khawaja said.
She added that the partnership reflects the government’s focus on public-private collaboration to strengthen digital skills and accelerate the Digital Nation Pakistan agenda.
Meta targets practical adoption of AI-enabled tools
Meta said the programme is intended to give entrepreneurs the skills and support required to use digital and AI-enabled technologies confidently.
“At Meta, we see every day how small businesses use our AI-enabled tools to reach customers and grow,” said Tehara Punchihewa, Associate Public Policy Manager for Asia-Pacific at Meta.
“The Small Business Growth Academy is about giving more entrepreneurs the practical skills and support they need to use these tools confidently, compete more effectively, and take part in the opportunities being created by the digital economy.”
The initiative forms part of a wider Meta programme being rolled out across 12 Asia-Pacific countries.
In Pakistan, the curriculum will be adapted to local market requirements, with an emphasis on capabilities that can contribute directly to business growth, market access and competitiveness.
Digital skills could help SMEs reach international markets
Improving the digital capabilities of smaller businesses has implications for Pakistan’s wider digital economy strategy.
Online platforms can enable smaller companies to reach customers without establishing expensive physical distribution networks in every market. Digital marketing and customer engagement tools can similarly lower some barriers associated with acquiring customers outside a company’s immediate location.
For businesses operating in export-oriented areas such as textiles, handicrafts and IT services, stronger digital capabilities could therefore support access to international customers alongside domestic growth.
Training alone, however, will need to translate into sustained technology adoption if businesses are to realise those opportunities.
Why this matters
The Small Business Growth Academy puts practical AI and digital adoption at the centre of Pakistan’s SME transformation agenda. Its target of more than 1,000 businesses across nine cities gives the initiative a meaningful initial footprint, while its focus on women-led ventures and sectors such as textiles, handicrafts and IT services could broaden participation in the country’s digital economy.
Editor’s note
Pakistan’s AI ambitions will ultimately depend on adoption outside the technology sector. SMEs represent an important test because most will not build AI systems themselves, but they can benefit from existing tools that improve marketing, customer engagement and productivity. The MoITT-Meta initiative addresses this practical adoption layer. Its longer-term value will depend on whether training translates into measurable improvements in how participating businesses acquire customers, automate operations and access new markets.
