Google, Tech Valley, Allied, and the National Radio & Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC) launch the Chromebook assembly line to produce 500,000 devices by 2026, boosting education and job creation for the digital economy and paving the way for exports.
The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) and Google have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to drive the next phase of Pakistan’s digital transformation
Islamabad, November 4, 2025 — In a major step toward accelerating Pakistan’s digital transformation and building a Future Forward Pakistan, Google and the Government of Pakistan announced a series of initiatives — including the launch of Pakistan’s Chromebook assembly line and a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to drive the next phase of Pakistan’s digital with the Ministry of IT & Telecommunication (MoITT) to drive digital skills and AI innovation.
The announcements were made at a high-level ceremony held at the Prime Minister’s Office in Islamabad, attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, and Google’s regional leadership.
Launch of Pakistan’s Chromebook assembly line: Empowering Education and Jobs
Google, in partnership with Tech Valley, Allied, and the National Radio & Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC), launched Pakistan’s first Chromebook assembly line at NRTC’s facility in Haripur.
The facility will assemble 500,000 Chromebooks by 2026, helping to create local jobs, strengthen the digital economy, and pave the way for device exports from Pakistan.
This initiative directly addresses the urgent need to prepare Pakistan’s massive youth population for the future of work in two key ways:
- Empowering students: It will provide students and educators across Pakistan with more affordable, high-quality Chromebooks. This access is the key to helping them gain from our digital skills initiatives and become career-ready.
- Creating local jobs: The new assembly line will create valuable job opportunities for the local youth.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, said “Today marks a historic milestone as we celebrate the invaluable partnership between Google and Pakistan. From the launch of Pakistan’s first Chromebook assembly line to … establishing a local presence in Pakistan and to the agreement between the government of Pakistan and Google to upskill our youth. This is a defining moment for our country’s digital transformation. Localizing the assembly of Chrome Chromebooks will make access to digital tools more affordable and inclusive particularly in the education sector. But beyond education, this initiative holds great economic significance. It marks an industrial milestone laying the foundation for jobs supply chain development and future technology export.”
Farhan Qureshi, Country Director, Google Pakistan, said, “Google has been a part of Pakistan’s digital journey for many years, and the local production of Chromebooks with Allied, NRTC and Tech valley marks an important step in our efforts to continue supporting the digital transformations of education in Pakistan,” “By delivering ‘Made-in-Pakistan’ Chromebooks, we are providing high-quality, safe, affordable devices that build on our robust digital skilling programs for teachers, students, developers and creators. This digital skills training and greater adoption of education technologies will narrow the digital skills gap and can add PKR 2.8 trillion of annual GDP in Pakistan in 2030. Beyond meeting local demand, this initiative paves the way for exporting locally assembled devices, helping to establish Pakistan as a key hardware exporter.”
Umar Farooq, Founder & CEO of Tech Valley, added, “Our mission is to unlock opportunity for every young person in Pakistan. Locally assembling these affordable devices means we can finally scale access to high-quality digital education. This isn’t just about getting kids online; it’s about putting them on a direct path to meaningful employment and empowering them to build a stronger national economy from the ground up
Google deepens partnership with MoiTT to advance digital skills for Pakistanis
Alongside the launch, MoITT and Google signed a Memorandum of Understanding to drive the next phase of Pakistan’s digital and AI-powered growth. The partnership focuses on three key areas:
- Expanding Digital Skilling: Provide 100,000 Google Career Certificates by 2025, building on 80,000 scholarships already awarded this year, nearly half to women. An AI Skills Lab will also engage 100,000+ developers in AI-first technologies.
- Accelerating the gaming and startups industries: Collaborate on policy frameworks for the gaming industry and offer workshops, mentorship, and Google Cloud support for startups under the Pakistan Startup Fund.
AI for Impact: Launch an AI Leaders Fellowship for 100 organizations in Pakistan – including public institutions, startups, and corporates – to adopt AI responsibly, and collaborate on Android services for public safety.
As part of the MOU, Google and MoiTT will also collaborate to share international best practices for an enabling regulatory environment.
Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Federal Minister for IT & Telecommunication, said: “This partnership with Google represents a major step toward our vision of a Digital Nation Pakistan By equipping our youth with future-ready skills and supporting innovation-led industries, we aim to create new opportunities for economic growth and position Pakistan as a regional leader in technology and AI.”
“We’re excited to deepen our investments in people, skills, and innovation to unlock the country’s vast potential and help build an inclusive digital future in this AI-powered economy. As our work deepens in Pakistan, we are working towards a stronger local presence in Pakistan, one that will serve as a node for innovation, partnerships, and economic opportunity”, added Farhan Qureshi, Country Director, Google Pakistan.
Building on Google’s digital skilling initiatives in Pakistan
Today’s commitments build on our established programs in Pakistan, which to date have empowered over 1 million teachers, students, developers, and creators with digital skills. These programs include:
- Providing over 200,000 Google Career Certificate scholarships since 2022—with nearly half going to women—to build a more inclusive workforce.
- Training 350,000 students and teachers in online safety, resilience, and confidence through our Digital Safar program.
- Reaching over 300,000 developers since 2021 to support the country’s tech talent.
Other notable attendees at the event included Mr. Umar Farooq, CEO, Tech Valley Pakistan & MENA; Mr. Aron Saether-Jackson, CEO, Allied Australia; and Brigadier Azmat Shabbir, Managing Director, NRTC. All speakers commended the collaboration as a milestone toward strengthening Pakistan’s local technology ecosystem, promoting digital inclusion, and advancing a Future Forward Pakistan.
Partner quotes for the Chromebook Assembly Line
Brigadier Azmat Shabbir, Managing Director, NRTC, emphasized the broader national impact: “Today, we are not just inaugurating a factory; we are celebrating a step forward in Pakistan’s digital independence. What you see here today is more than a factory. It’s a platform that will power education, governance, and connectivity across the country… This is NRTC’s contribution to the Government’s Digital Pakistan Vision—a vision where progress is driven by local capability, not dependence. We want to reach a point where we’re not only meeting local demand but exporting our products—and our expertise—to the world.”
Allied CEO, Aron Saether-Jackson, said: “The launch of the Chromebook assembly line in Haripur is a truly monumental step that anchors a key pillar of Allied’s global strategy. Our mission is to close the digital divide, and this facility will be a strategic hub for delivering on that commitment by making high-quality, secure, and affordable education devices accessible on a massive scale. By empowering the youth of Pakistan with the tools for the future of work, we are creating a blueprint for global digital inclusion and laying the foundation for a future where opportunity is truly universal.”
About Google
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