LAHORE – Google hosted Think Apps 2024 in Lahore, bringing together nearly 350 of Pakistan’s top developers alongside global and regional industry leaders and experts.
Building on the success of Think Apps in 2023, this year’s event, the largest for the industry, focused on empowering developers to harness AI to drive innovation, growth, and sustainability in Pakistan’s expanding app industry.
According to Access Partnership’s latest Economic Impact Report, Pakistan has the potential to increase its annual revenue by $6.6 billion by 2030 through focusing on digital exports. The gaming and app industry has been identified as a key area for growth, showing impressive progress in recent years with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 32% in global downloads of locally-made apps from 2018 to 2023. Although overall app downloads decreased slightly in 2023, Pakistan ranked 17th globally, and in-app purchase (IAP) revenue increased by 50%, showing the industry’s resilience.
To support Pakistani gaming and app developers, Google is launching new programs in 2024, including the following:
Game Design Masterclass: This program will bring together Pakistan’s most talented game developers from the country’s top studios for a dedicated 6-month program aimed at creating high-quality games.
Google Ads Academy: In-person offline hackathon workshops will be held in Lahore and Islamabad. Marketing professionals from Pakistan’s top studios can access in-person training focusing on app growth strategies.
Build with AI and Cloud AI Study Jams: These will provide developers with hands-on AI and Cloud training to deepen their expertise. So far, more than 9,300 developers have been trained under this program.
These programs build on Google’s existing initiatives, including the Google App Academy, which has already reached over 800 participants. Furthermore, Google is expanding its engagement at key events such as the Google Developer Conference (US), CXO meetups in APAC, and APAC’s App Summit, connecting leaders of Pakistan’s top gaming and app studios with global peers.
Google believes that success in the app industry requires a balanced, forward-thinking approach. The “Think Apps 2024” event focused on how AI is revolutionizing game and app development and highlighted local and regional players using Google’s AI solutions to create high-quality apps, achieve financial success, and build sustainable businesses.
Farhan S. Qureshi, Google’s Director for Pakistan, stated, “Pakistan’s app and gaming industry has high potential for long-term growth. Several Pakistani studios, such as Vyro.AI, Hazel Mobile, Games District, GeniTeam, and Finz Games, are consistently generating millions of downloads daily, employing hundreds of Pakistanis, and garnering global attention.”
The “Think Apps 2024” event is a testament to Google’s commitment to empowering local developers, providing access to AI-powered products and resources to help them create exceptional games and apps, drive profitability, and build sustainable businesses, ultimately contributing to the country’s economy through digital export proceeds and high-value employment. Google remains dedicated to investing in Pakistan’s developer ecosystem and supporting its journey to global success.
