Karachi: Mr. Atif Ikram Sheikh, President of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI), hosted the inaugural "Home to Hub Initiative" today at FPCCI Head Office, Federation House, Karachi.
Mr. Atif Ikram Sheikh apprised that the milestone event marks the formal beginning of a structured journey designed to transform Pakistan’s women entrepreneurs from home-based beginners to export-ready business leaders.
Mr. Atif Ikram Sheikh highlighted that the ice-breaking event gathered a carefully curated mix of established and emerging women entrepreneurs, university students, senior business mentors, and finance representatives.
Mr. Atif Ikram Sheikh thanked the key institutional partners; including, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA), the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), and the Pakistan Single Window (PSW) for providing actionable insights on business planning, funding opportunities, and global export facilitation to the women entrepreneurs.
Mr. S. M. Tanveer, Patron-in-Chief, UBG, underscored the macroeconomic importance of the Home to Hub initiative. The transition from informal, home-based setups to structured, scalable hubs is vital. Providing women with the structural support to navigate this journey ensures their long-term integration into the mainstream commercial sector.
Mr. Saquib Fayyaz Magoon, SVP FPCCI, reiterated the apex body's dedication to capacity building. Our focus is to ensure that emerging women entrepreneurs are not operating in isolation. Through structured networking, access to finance, and dedicated facilitation, FPCCI is committed to bridging the gap between local innovation and global supply chains.
Mr. Abdul Mohamin Khan, VP & Regional Chairman Sindh, FPCCI, explained that the Home to Hub framework is engineered to achieve six core outcomes for its participants; i.e. inspire, inform, connect, classify, register, and validate.
Mr. Qurrat Ul Ain, VP FPCCI, emphasized the apex body's foundational role in female economic empowerment. FPCCI is a key supportive platform for Women Entrepreneurs. By formalizing these enterprises and providing them with direct pathways to international markets, we are driving critical, inclusive economic growth for the nation, she added.
The initiative was spearheaded and organized by Ms. Naheed Masud, Consultant on Women Entrepreneurs Affairs (Sindh Region) for FPCCI. Concluding the event and outlining the way forward, she noted that this inaugural event presents our program roadmap. Our goal is to classify participants into sector-specific clusters - such as IT & Digital, Fashion & Textiles, and Health & Nutrition - and register them into a digital database to provide customized mentorship and targeted access to finance.
