While nearly all economic managers of Pakistan continue to refer to exports as the real mantra for addressing the country’s economic ailments, sadly no one has truly walked the talk. Ironically, the current economic managers have in fact been increasingly instrumental in hurting exports and domestic manufacturing competitiveness, thereby accelerating the decline and erosion. The year 2025 saw a particularly difficult period for Pakistan’s exports, and the slide continues. Pakistan’s exports stood at $39.52 billion in 2022, declined to $35.41 billion in 2023, further fell to $32.44 billion in 2024, and are now projected at around $30.23 billion in 2025. In contrast, India’s exports reached a record high of approximately $824.9 billion in the financial year 2024–25 (April–March), driven by strong growth in both services, which reached $387.5 billion, and non-petroleum merchandise, which reached $374.1 billion. For the previous fiscal year (2023–24), India’s total exports were around $778.10 billion. Clearly, the two economies appear to be moving in opposite directions when it comes to export-led growth. Sadly for us, the difference seems to lie largely in mindsets and sheer management competence and vision on how to drive and develop national exports.

PNSC boosts maritime strength with induction of new oil tanker MT Karachi

What the Pakistani side needs to understand is that sustainably developing exports, in essence, requires more than anything else the creation of an exporting culture and environment. This environment must not only gear up domestic manufacturing competitiveness and productivity vis-à-vis core competitors, but also make exporting so operationally easy and attractive that businesses and entrepreneurs are naturally drawn to it. Additionally, as covered in my previous........

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