LMKT, a leading Pakistan-based technology services company, is pleased to announce the award of the contract to setup a pioneering National Incubation Center (NIC) in Karachi.
His Excellency Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, was the Chief Guest of the contract signing ceremony, which was held at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat and was also attended by the Guest of Honor Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Ms. Anusha Rahman.
Shabana Khan, President LMKT, and Yusuf Hussain, CEO Ignite (formerly National ICT R&D Fund), signed the contract in the presence of renowned dignitaries from the public and private sectors.
The contract signing was part of the launch of the Government’s DigiSkills Program, under which one million of the country’s youth will receive digital skills development training.
LMKT, along with its partners, including NED University, was selected for this landmark project by Ignite through a transparent bidding process in which LMKT competed with five other bidders, comprising leading multinationals and technology companies. Ministry of IT & Telecom’s program to create incubation centers across Pakistan is aimed at promoting youth-led entrepreneurship in the country.
LMKT will setup the center in Karachi to empower aspiring Sindh-based entrepreneurs. After the successful launch of NIC Peshawar, NIC Karachi will be LMKT’s second venture into the national incubation space.
Being at the heart of the country’s business hub, the Karachi center is expected to be Pakistan’s premier incubation facility. The Karachi incubation center is projected to start operations in the second quarter of 2018.
Along with other facilities, incubatees at NIC Karachi will have access to a design studio, NED University’s Makers’ Lab and a fintech center, a result of HBL’s collaboration on the project.
“Being the great equalizer, technology counters the injustices that stem from the stratification of our society,” said Shabana Khan, President LMKT. She added that “establishing avenues of development and wealth creation, like NIC Karachi, lifts the bottom 100 million of our nation and brightens the future of the whole of our youth. “
On the occasion, Shahjahan Chaudhry, Director NIC Karachi, said, “We are committed to developing Pakistan’s startup sector. Our youth has the ability to produce transformational solutions when provided with resources and an environment that is conducive to creative thought.” He continued, “Karachi has always attracted the nation’s best and the brightest and we are really looking forward to working with these rising stars and developing their revolutionary ideas.”
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Yusuf Hussain, CEO Ignite, said:
Innovation is the need of the hour, and by empowering our youth with the necessary digital skills and entrepreneurial acumen we can enable them to tackle society’s most challenging problems.
Dr. Sarosh Lodi, Vice Chancellor NED University a key partner in the consortium, said:
We are delighted to be partnering with LMKT and we are confident that National Incubation Center Karachi will play a pivotal role in developing Sindh’s entrepreneurial tech culture.
The LMKT-led consortium also includes PTCL, HBL and IBM as strategic partners.
LMKT will leverage its contacts with leading technology companies to provide promising startups with quality incubation programs; mentor and investor networks; and access to best-in-class technical, financial and professional resources.
About LMKT:
LMKT is a full-service technology company based out of Pakistan offering scalable IT solutions and services to clients across a broad spectrum of industries.
The company specializes in smart cities, smart buildings, e-governance, clean technology and agri-tech solutions in its pursuit to supporting the country’s fast growing economy and rapid urbanization.
Wishing you best of luck
What type of services they offer.
Surprise surprise. Yousuf Hussain the CEO of Ignite that choose the NICs across Pakistan was ex employee of LMKT and they have won the centers in Karachi and Peshawar. Talk about conflict of interest!!! If this is not corruption what is???
NAB should take note.
Dear Faadil, please avoid making speculative comments and conjecture. As a nation we’re always looking to criticize and act cynical in every scenario. Try to see the positive side of things.
LMKT doesnt have any office in Karachi. There are many IT firms in Karachi who would have qualified for the incubator. Awarding the second incubator after NIC Peshawar to LMKT also does raise eyebrows about transparency of procurement process at Ignite/MOIT. This should be investigated by relevant authorities.
It is very easy to put allegations on others. I will request you get your facts checked before lashing on others.
Dear Hamid, first of all I’d suggest that you take a good look at the evaluation and selection process of such contracts. These contracts undergo a lot of scrutiny. FYI, many Karachi-based IT companies and multinationals including Telenor did participate in the bidding process but either fell short on technical or financial grounds. Please get your facts checked rather than making false allegations on a public forum.
Dear Just try to award a contract worth fraction of NIC violating PPRA rules and see what happens to you. We are sitting in the Federal Government where all relevant eyes are focused on us. Moreover you think that Prime Minister would associate himself by inaugurate an initiative that falls short of any PPRA rules compliance. Please have a look at the evaluation score sheet posted on PPRA website which is a public document. Let me remind you that none of bidders have had any complaint over the evaluation or award of contract process. Ignite has its own grievance committee for all such big ticket initiatives which can be approached by aggrieved bidders.
no he was never an employee of LMKT..
anyway process was very transparent.. feel free to ask other bidders before putting any allegations..
I am wondering if this is a fake account to put false allegations..
FIA should take note :) ProPakistani should be able to share the info to track..
We do share info with LEAs, if asked.
Yusuf Hussain was CEO of LMKR which is a sister concern of LMKT. Can you deny this fact?
Do you have any better options?
As far as I know, Yusuf Hussain is the most transparent and most honest person on this seat. Look at the number of innovative initiatives he is taking and think of the volume of impact expected in near future.
My friend, first of all NAB or any other agency is most welcome to have a look. In fact they don’t have to be invited, the project is registered with them as legally required. I have never worked for LMKT. All my prior employment and engagements have been officially notified to the Ministry of IT and the Board of Ignite in my application and selection process and after that as well. They are also publically available in my linkedin profile. So there is transparency.
The tender for these NIC projects was extensively publicized and 33 consortiums submitted proposals, comprising 130+ companies.
The LMKT Karachi bid included PTCL, IBM and NED University, from whom more than half a dozen Silicon Valley rock stars have graduated. The decision to select this bid along with all other bids in other cities was made by the Board of Directors which includes public sector and private sector people, not by CEO Ignite, who is only a member of this decision making body. It was a unanimous decision. The evaluations were undertaken by separate technical and financial committees. Two other LMKT bids have been rejected in the recent past.
Making such leaps of judgement without acquiring information and making such unfounded allegations is legally libelous and defamatory. And it is a deterrent to people seeking to make a difference by joining the public sector and giving up on more lucrative private sector opportunities.
Dear Faadil Hamid
You may go to or invite any forum to scrutinise our procurement processes. As per Rules NAB is taken on board in advance on all procurements worth PKR 50 million and above.
Therefore remember that false accusations without any knowledge of PPRA rules compliance by an entitiy and lack of sense of responsibility puts you liable to legal action (please be assured that the idea here is not to hurl any threats) but to make you realise that Ignite will go for a hot pursuit.
It will therefore be appropriate that you may consider giving an immediate clarification on your irresponsible comment.
Regards
Kudos to the private IT firms who are playing active role in the digital Pakistan initiative by the IT ministry.
vehemently suggesting? WTF…
the person said: Yousuf Hussain the CEO of Ignite … was ex employee of LMKT
and i responded: no he was never an employee of LMKT..
if someone is not an employee of PTCL it doesn’t mean PTCL is not related to Ufone but it means person roles and responsibility has nothing to do with other company… so please don’t put words..
anyways then another anonymous coward said: Yusuf Hussain was CEO of LMKR..
which again is not true; so the thing is yes Yusuf was an employee and worked in another capacity with LMKR around oil & gas tech – his designation was MD for a region (as is clearly mentioned on his LinkedIn – you don’t need google to find that). Ignite board is well aware of Yousaf past employment.. and it was Board’s decision (a unanimous one) to award NIC Karachi to us.. so raised eyebrows can relax..
Speaking of LMKR, we are 20+ year old company and is rated among the top 10 IT/ITES exporters from Pakistan. You will come across many people in senior roles who have worked with us in past e.g. one ex employee was MD PSEB (not Yousaf), another is the country sales head in Pakistan of a Fortune 50 company, another a country head of Global 200 in Africa (and now even at a much more senior role) and so on etc. There are roughly 1500 people when you type LMKR in LinkedIn. We are very proud of what our ex-employees have done in their careers.. Now, Yusuf is actually a very different case as he already had an illustrious career long before joining LMKR i.e. Cressoft, PSEB etc – that is why we hired him. but he left LMKR in 2011.
anyways i see a good reply from Nadeem Nasir..