Alibaba.com, a leading platform for global business-to-business (B2B) trade, hosted its second seller summit in Lahore to highlight export opportunities available to local businesses from online commerce, reaffirming its commitment to helping exporters in the region enter the global market. The event this time was well attended by more than 250 participants including over 100 participants who tuned in online.
The Alibaba.com seller summit, titled “Bharo Digital Export ki Nayi Udaan Lahore se”, discussed various aspects of B2B e-commerce including the promising categories of products from Lahore in the global market and how Pakistani exporters can tap the opportunity. Alibaba.com representatives also provided the participants with tips and advice on equipping themselves with the necessary skills and tools to thrive as sellers on Alibaba.com.
The event featured a line-up of leaders from Alibaba.com as well as prominent industry leaders from Lahore’s business circle, including Mr. Song Song, Head of Alibaba.com Pakistan; Mr. Maaz Mehmood, Executive member of Sundar Trade and Industry Association; Mr. Ahmed Jahangir, Executive Director of Home Textile Business at Nishat Mills; Ms. Amy Li, Marketing Head at Alibaba.com Pakistan; and Mr. Aziz Ur Rehman, Founder of Adan Enterprises.
“I am greatly encouraged to see the enthusiasm of the business community in Lahore for transitioning to the digital age by grasping opportunities in B2B e-commerce, which is why we are here again to meet with local business leaders and entrepreneurs. We look forward to working with more SMEs here to help drive export opportunities for Lahore, and contribute to the growth of Pakistan’s national economy,” said Mr. Song Song.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Maaz Mehmood said: “We are thankful to Alibaba.com for organising this event. Lahore has huge potential for e-commerce but we are still following traditional ways of doing business. We need to encourage buyers and sellers of this age to become part of global e-commerce through platforms such as Alibaba.com.”
Commenting on the potential of Pakistani exports, Ms. Amy Li said: “Apparel and textile export from Pakistan is on the rise with a year-on-year growth of 4.18% in export volume during July-August 2022, according to data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. In particular, the knitwear category witnessed a year-on-year growth of 16.95% in export volume while non-knitted garment a year-on-year growth of 8.49% during the same period. We expect Pakistani export will reach a new level as an increasing number of sellers go online and go global with e-commerce.”
Sharing his thoughts at the event, Mr. Ahmed Jahangir said: “Platforms like Alibaba.com are creating level playing fields and helping businesses to reach genuine global buyers with minimal investment. This helps exporters save time from looking for buyers and allows them to spend more energy on making good-quality products for buyers.”
