NUTECH University delegation visits KCCI to discuss possibility of holding symposium in Karachi

A delegation from NUTECH University Islamabad led by its Registrar Brigadier Dr. Syed Adnan Qasim visited the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) to discuss the possibility of organizing “NUTECH-Industry Joint Collaboration Symposium for Karachi’s Industrial Development 2021” in Karachi.

NUTECH delegation also included Director NORIC Air CDRE Syed Salman Khalid, Director PIE Air CDRE (Retd.) Naveed Yousuf and others while KCCI was represented by Chairman Businessmen Group (BMG) & Former President KCCI Zubair Motiwala, General Secretary BMG AQ Khalil, President KCCI Shariq Vohra, Senior Vice President Saqib Goodluck, Vice President Shamsul Islam Khan, President Site Association of Industry Abdul Hadi and KCCI Managing Committee Members.

Registrar NUTECH Brigadier Dr. Syed Adnan Qasim, while highlighting some of the salient features of the proposed symposium, informed that NUTECH intends to organize this symposium before Ramazan ul Mubarak which will have at least four sessions in which all stakeholders will be taken on board by ensuring immense participation of businessmen, industrialists and SMEs etc. from all seven industrial zones of Karachi.

“Keeping in view the significant role being played by Karachi in the economic development and the massive manufacturing, trade and economic activities going on in this city, NUTECH has chosen Karachi for its next symposium”, he said, adding that today’s meeting with KCCI was the first step which will be followed by NUTECH’s symposium in Karachi that would eventually lead to setting up NUTECH’s campus in Karachi.

Highlighting some of the major initiatives taken by NUTECH University particularly some of the advanced courses which have been designed after thoroughly studying some of the successful international models, he said NUTECH’s objective was to produce technologically advanced and professionally capable Human Resource and develop innovative HR in technology & skills to revive different sectors, besides offer cost effective and research driven solutions and promote entrepreneurship and enterprise development for industrial sector.

He was of the opinion that rising unemployment of educated youth, declining exports, struggling industry, slowdown of national economy and ill-preparation of industry for upcoming 4th industrial revolution were the major challenges of today but it was really worrisome and a matter of grave concerns that majority of people at the helm of policymaking have no idea of the challenges and were totally unaware of the 4th industrial revolution.

He informed that NUTECH was created as a joint national project of Federal Government, three Armed Forces and Higher Education Commission which is envisaged to transform load-ridden economy into real knowledge driven one through technology-based value-added exports.

Registrar NUTECH further opined that many things have changed after COVID-19 pandemic and a lot of developments have taken place. “A big transformation is going to take place globally and we must become part of that transformation by focusing on import substitution and export enhancement through value-addition and technological skills”, he added.

Chairman BMG & Former President KCCI Zubair Motiwala, while extending full support and cooperation for the proposed symposium, nominated President KCCI Shariq Vohra as focal person for discussing all the modalities and design of the symposium.

Highlighting the problems being faced by the industries in Karachi particularly the export-oriented industries, Zubair Motiwala pointed out that exporters have been facing fierce competition from its competitors like India and Bangladesh where the cost of doing business was much lower. “We, the exporters, suffer badly due to inconsistent policies and numerous other shocks like abrupt suspension of gas supply to industries, exorbitant regulatory duties on raw materials, high tariffs for gas and electricity which make our products uncompetitive in the international markets.”

He said, “In such a situation, we simply cannot compete with anyone as whenever our buyers hear about suspension of gas, they fear that we may not be able to deliver the goods on time hence, our buyers are steadily drifting to Bangladesh, India and other countries which can be confirmed from the fact that the exports, after showing an upward trend for five consecutive months, went down by 4.5 percent in February 2021 and we fear more decline in subsequent months.”

General Secretary BMG AQ Khalil, while appreciating the idea of organizing NUTECH symposium in Karachi, stressed that NUTECH’s campus has to be established in Karachi on top priority which would certainly improve the overall productivity and performance of the industrial sector of Karachi. “When most of the production, exports and imports were taking place from Karachi, it is really necessary to set up institutions like NUTECH in this city which is in the larger interest of the entire country as it is the business community of Karachi which not only feeds the entire Pakistan but also earns biggest chunk of foreign exchange through exports”, he added.

President KCCI Shariq Vohra, in his remarks, also underscored that the KCCI and NUTECH University will have to make collective efforts for establishing NUTECH’s campus in Karachi which was badly needed here as majority of the manufacturing, imports and exports were being done from Karachi which is the financial, industrial, commercial and economic hub of Pakistan.

He was of the opinion that Sindh government and the business community were the only two stakeholders of Karachi hence, not just the business community but also representatives from Sindh government have to be invited at the proposed symposium in order to make it successful and result-oriented. “Keeping in view the 3rd spell of COVID-19 pandemic and a very limited time available for arrangements, the idea to organize this huge symposium before Ramadan needs to be reviewed”, he added.

CAPTION: Chairman Businessmen Group (BMG) & Former President Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) Zubair Motiwala and President KCCI Shariq Vohra presenting crest to Registrar NUTECH University Brigadier Dr. Syed Adnan Qasim during his visit to KCCI. Director NORIC Air CDRE Syed Salman Khalid, Director PIE Air CDRE (Retd.) Naveed Yousuf, General Secretary BMG AQ Khalil, Vice President Shamsul Islam Khan, President Site Association of Industry Abdul Hadi and others are also seen in the picture.

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