Viper, a local PC brand, has been ranked Pakistan’s No. 1 PC brand by unit shipments in Q2 2025, according to the IDC Pakistan PC Market Executive Summary. Building on this momentum, Viper has commenced local manufacturing. A significant step in the national “Made in Pakistan” drive.

“Becoming Pakistan’s top PC brand while beginning local manufacturing is more than a business milestone, it’s a signal that Pakistani technology can lead at home and compete abroad,” said Khushnood Aftab, CEO, Viper Technology. “We’re scaling responsibly, strengthening supply chains, and creating value where it matters: in jobs, skills, and innovation.”

Local manufacturing reduces reliance on fully built imports, easing pressure on FX reserves through import substitution and enabling future export receipts.

The factory operations, QA, after-sales, and channel enablement create jobs while upskilling youth in electronics assembly, testing, and service.

Local build and parts availability improve lead times, customization, and after-sales reliability, key for schools, enterprises, and government projects.

Viper’s portfolio (AI PCs, laptops, desktops, tablets, interactive displays) helps seed local R&D and integration expertise, supporting government, education, and enterprise digitization. It achieved a significant milestone that signals stronger domestic value chain—promising foreign-exchange savings, skilled jobs, and AI-era technology leadership.

Viper Technology (Pvt.) Ltd. is a 30-year-old Pakistani IT hardware company focused on PCs, laptops, tablets, AI PCs, and interactive display solutions with nationwide sales and service. The Viper Group also includes VIION Technology (software, digital, services) and Viper Academy (tech skills training). Viper partners with leading global suppliers and serves enterprise, education, and government customers across Pakistan.

Federal Minister for Energy (Power Division), Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari addressed the workshop through video link and commended the joint initiative, stating, “NGC is the first national entity to implement an approved Indigenization Policy, and its strategic procurement model is already delivering tangible results”. He urged WAPDA, DISCOs, KE, and state-owned and private power generation plants to adopt indigenization as a strategic imperative—not as CSR, but as a core procurement principle aligned with the National Electricity Plan 2023–2027.

A key milestone of the workshop was the launch of Pakistan’s first Power Equipment Manufacturing Dashboard, developed by the LUMS Energy Institute with input from power sector stakeholders. This real-time digital tool will monitor localization progress, assess vendor capacity, and identify strategic investment opportunities under the Power Sector Indigenization Plan (PSIP). The dashboard was jointly inaugurated by Dr. Fiaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Chairman, Board of Directors, NGC, and Senior Advisor at the LUMS Energy Institute, chairman Pakistan Engineering Council Engr. Waseem Nazir and Managing Director NGC Engr. Muhammad Waseem Younas.

Dr. Chaudhry stated, “NGC’s indigenization strategy—anchored in policy reform and targeted educational orders—has already saved over USD 10 million in foreign exchange through import substitution.” He reaffirmed that LUMS will continue supporting policy design, digital innovation, and institutional transformation in the energy sector. “Pakistan’s market for static transmission and substations is currently valued at around $8 million. This figure, however, does not reflect the true scale of our potential. We must work to expand this market at least threefold through strategic development, innovation, and local industrial growth. At the same time, we should set a clear target of achieving no less than $16 million in exports from this sector. That is the level of ambition we must embrace to position ourselves competitively on the global stage” he said.

He said that under the ten-year Integrated Generation Capacity Expansion Plan (IGCEP) and Transmission Exposition Plan (TSEP), investment of USD 8 billion would be needed in the transmission sector. We want these equipment and material to be manufactured in Pakistan, which will save valuable foreign exchange.

Managing Director NGC, Engr. Muhammad Waseem Younas, outlined the tangible progress under the Indigenization Policy. Since 2022, NGC has placed over PKR 2 billion in local orders, including PKR 781 million in educational orders aimed at building industrial capacity. Additionally, NGC’s revision of its Type Test Policy in 2023 to align with international benchmarks has opened the door for local manufacturers to compete globally.

The workshop featured a distinguished panel of institutional leaders, including Dr. Tahir Masood, Chairman BOD, IESCO; Engr. Abid Latif Lodhi, MD, PPMC; Syed Moonis Abdullah Alvi, CEO, K-Electric; Dhanpat Kotak, Chairman BOD, NPPMC; and Mian Suhail Husain, former BOD member, EDB, among other senior representatives from regulatory institutions and industry. The discussions addressed bottlenecks to localization across the generation, transmission, and distribution value chain, and explored enabling policies for the manufacturing sector.

Dr. Tariq Jadoon, Provost, LUMS, added, “LUMS stands committed as a national platform for evidence-based policymaking, innovation, and industry transformation.” Dr. Naveed Arshad, Director, LUMS Energy Institute and BoD Member, NGC, noted, “LEI is helping to reimagine energy localization through interdisciplinary R&D.”

The workshop concluded with consensus on actionable steps to align procurement practices with national localization goals, foster technology partnerships, and create a clear roadmap for import substitution. Dedicated sessions assessed the readiness of local manufacturers, outlined investment needs, and proposed mechanisms to improve coordination between utilities, government, and academia.