Ignite, Mobilink Bank Launch NIC Sialkot for Startups

Ignite and Mobilink Bank launched NIC Sialkot to incubate 25 startups yearly, boosting Sialkot’s export led tech ecosystem with mentorship, market access and focus on AI, manufacturing and health tech.

Ignite and Mobilink Bank announced the establishment of the National Incubation Center (NIC) Sialkot in a signing ceremony at the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication in Islamabad. The centre, created through a Mobilink Bank-led consortium that includes CyberVision International, aims to plug entrepreneurship into one of Pakistan’s most productive industrial hubs.

NIC Sialkot will admit up to 25 startups annually and offer mentorship, investor linkages, business development services and market access. The program targets ventures that can accelerate export competitiveness and industrial productivity, especially in sports tech, surgical and healthcare technologies, advanced manufacturing and e-commerce.

Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja framed the project as part of the government’s Digital Pakistan agenda. She said: “The establishment of NIC Sialkot reflects Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Digital National Pakistan vision,” underscoring government commitment to nurture young innovators beyond metropolitan cores.

Ignite’s CEO Muhammad Bilal Abbasi described the centre as a strategic step in scaling startups into export ready businesses. “NIC Sialkot is another important milestone in Ignite’s mission to strengthen Pakistan’s startup ecosystem,” he said, adding that the centre will promote technology adoption and boost industrial competitiveness in the region.

Mobilink Bank’s President and CEO Haaris Mahmood Chaudhary emphasised inclusive growth, arguing that economic resilience requires opportunity beyond a few cities. “Through NIC Sialkot, we are equipping entrepreneurs with mentorship, digital tools, financial solutions, and market access to scale with confidence,” he stated.

Sialkot’s rise as an e-commerce and export hub reportedly responsible for a large share of Pakistan’s Alibaba transactions made it a logical site for the new NIC. Officials expect the centre to accelerate digital exports by linking local manufacturers and innovators with global markets and tailored incubation support.

The initiative is part of the broader NIC network funded by the Ministry of IT and Ignite National Technology Fund, which partners with private industry and academia across regional centres. Applications for the inaugural Cohort 1 are now open through the NIC Sialkot website, inviting startups that can translate local industrial strengths into globally competitive products and services.