By Commerce Reporter
LAHORE — Pakistan’s first national SME cluster exhibition, “Made in Pakistan – SME Cluster Showcase Expo 2026,” concluded at the Expo Center Lahore with strong public participation and meaningful business linkages, marking a major milestone for the country’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Read also: SME Cluster Showcase Expo 2026 a resounding success: CEO SMEDA Nadia Jahangir Seth
The three-day event was organized by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) under the supervision of the Ministry of Industries & Production, in line with the economic vision of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The Expo featured cluster-based pavilions, exhibitor stalls, and platforms for B2B, B2G and B2I matchmaking, alongside policy dialogues, technical sessions, and an SME Awards Ceremony.
The exhibition was inaugurated by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries & Production Haroon Akhtar Khan, who described the Expo as Pakistan’s flagship national platform to showcase the strength, diversity and export readiness of SME clusters from across the country. He said the initiative reflects a shift toward cluster-based and data-driven SME development, aimed at systematically linking MSMEs with sourcing, investment and institutional support.
The Expo showcased value-added products from diverse clusters including textiles and handicrafts, sports goods, leather, surgical instruments, cutlery, furniture, agribusiness, marble and granite, and light engineering. Special pavilions featured women entrepreneurs and microenterprises, while clusters from Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan received dedicated representation.
Among the foreign delegates were representatives from Malaysia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, and the embassies of Kenya and Russia.
In her concluding remarks, CEO SMEDA Nadia Jahangir Seth called the event a defining moment for Pakistan’s MSMEs, saying it provided a national platform for enterprises to display products, exchange knowledge, gain visibility, and develop business linkages to become export-ready. She emphasized that the Expo will now become an annual feature, with follow-up initiatives to translate commitments into tangible business growth.
The final day featured an Inception Workshop on “Banana in Pakistan’s Bioeconomy: Transforming Waste into Textiles,” along with panel discussions on digital finance, fintech for MSMEs, Pakistan’s economic landscape, and industry-academia linkages.
Federal Minister Qaiser A. Sheikh, FPCCI representative Zaki Ijaz, and SMEDA Board member Aasia Saail also addressed the gathering. Event sponsors Habib Bank Limited, Bank Al Habib, Bank of Punjab, and Pak Suzuki Motors reaffirmed their support for government initiatives to strengthen Pakistan’s MSME sector.
