LAHORE: Alibaba.com, a leading platform for global business-to-business (B2B) trade, today hosted its first seller summit in Lahore to highlight export opportunities available to local businesses in the e-commerce space. The event was well attended by more than 250 participants, including 200+ participants who tuned in online.
Titled “Go Export with Alibaba.com”, the event brought together existing and potential exporters in Lahore to offer tips and advice on how to start and grow an online export business. It is the first event of its type held by Alibaba.com in Lahore, signifying the platform’s enhanced efforts to support suppliers in the region and increase the city’s visibility as an online supplier base.
Various experts in the export and e-commerce fields took part as speakers in the event, including Mr Sheharyar Tahir, Head of External Relations of SMEDA, and Mr Mian Rehman Aziz, Senior Vice President of Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industries, who shed light on government support and infrastructure available to assist exporters in Lahore; Mr Md Ammar Khan, CEO of Raaziq International Logistics, Mr Tariq Mahmood, Senior Partner at Raaziq International Logistics, and Mr Barrister Ahmed Uzair, an export law specialist at AUC| Law, who provided insights into how to set up and expand an export business; Mr Muhammad Sajid Minhas, an Alibaba.com supplier who talked about his journey on the platform over the last 15 years; and Alibaba.com representatives including Mr Song Song, Head of Alibaba.com Pakistan, and Mr Ethan Wang, Product Operation Manager, who shared about products and services offered by Alibaba.com that can help suppliers digitalise their export business.
“Pakistan is one of Alibaba.com’s most important supplier markets. Lahore, in particular, shows a high potential of e-commerce growth as it already contributed US$4.7 billion in export volume or 17% of the country’s total export volume in fiscal year 2021-22. As the global pandemic has sped up B2B buyers’ adoption of online sourcing channels, we feel that now is the time for more high-quality suppliers here in Lahore to go online and be discovered by the 34 million-strong global online buyer community on Alibaba.com,” said Mr Song Song, Business Head of Alibaba.com Pakistan.
“Pakistan’s economy is comprised of almost 5.2 million small and medium enterprises. With an established e-commerce platform like Alibaba.com and an enabling environment and business development services provided by SMEDA, we encourage small and medium enterprises here to take action and grow beyond their home market,” said Mr Sheharyar Tahir, Head of External Relations of SMEDA.
Alibaba.com is now more focused to increase the e-commerce industry in Pakistan, especially in Lahore to make B2B trade as easy and as accessible as possible for buyers and sellers. Alibaba.com has been enabling the growth of small and medium-sized businesses since 1999 with tools designed specifically for B2B trade. Supplier members on the platform can tap a suite of tools and services including a custom digital storefront, buyer analytics, targeted advertising, and support in the form of training courses and live support, among others.