Lahore’s Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) and Alibaba.com have signed a Strategic Cooperation Agreement to widen digital commerce access for Pakistani micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Officials said the SMEDA Alibaba agreement is meant to strengthen export readiness and help local firms connect with global buyers on Alibaba.com’s business-to-business (B2B) marketplace, where companies sell to other companies rather than to shoppers.
SMEDA, which works under the Ministry of Industries and Production, framed the step as part of efforts to expand market access in line with Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif’s SME development vision. Officials involved in facilitation said the arrangement should help local SMEs take part in the growing global digital economy.
What the programme will deliver
Both sides plan a capacity-building and onboarding drive. Officials said the programme aims to train 10,000 MSMEs and facilitate the onboarding of up to 2,000 eligible Pakistani businesses onto Alibaba.com.
A central feature, they added, is reimbursement-based financial support of up to Rs150,000 for each eligible MSME from SMEDA. Participating firms are also expected to receive preferential pricing, onboarding help and technical guidance from Alibaba.com, alongside SMEDA’s training and support.
Officials said priority will go to export-oriented sectors such as sports goods and sportswear, textiles, agricultural machinery and auto parts. They stressed that only eligible entrepreneurs would be taken onto the platform, describing the process as transparent and aimed at raising competitiveness and exports.
Dynamic MSMEs can apply by registering through SMEDA’s SME portal at smerp.smeda.org. Eligible businesses, officials said, would then be considered for training, digital onboarding, preferential pricing from Alibaba.com, the SMEDA grant and help in reaching global B2B opportunities.
How the deal builds on earlier China ties
Officials said the collaboration follows a Memorandum of Understanding SMEDA and Alibaba.com signed in May 2026 during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to China. That earlier understanding covered SME internationalisation, digital transformation and export development.
Alibaba.com had also held an “AI Export × New Supply Growth Summit 2026” in Faisalabad, which marked the launch of DigiSME Pakistan there and brought together SMEs and other stakeholders around AI-enabled tools, digital commerce and global B2B opportunities.
What SMEDA’s leadership says next
SMEDA Chief Executive Officer Nadia Jahangir Seth said the initiative reflected the government’s wider economic vision of promoting exports and using technology to open new paths for business growth. She described SMEDA’s partnership with Alibaba.com as a continuation of work to help MSMEs go global.
Officials from both organisations said they shared a commitment to turn the cooperation into concrete gains for Pakistan’s MSMEs, arguing that lasting public-private collaboration could help firms build digital skills, reach new markets and compete more strongly abroad.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- May 2026: SMEDA and Alibaba.com sign an MoU during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to China on SME internationalisation, digital transformation and export development.
- 2026: Alibaba.com organises the “AI Export × New Supply Growth Summit 2026” in Faisalabad and launches DigiSME Pakistan in the city.
- October 30, 2026: Officials in Lahore outline a Strategic Cooperation Agreement between SMEDA and Alibaba.com, including training, onboarding and reimbursement support for eligible MSMEs.
Aasan alfaaz mein
SMEDA aur Alibaba.com ne mil kar Pakistani chhote aur medium businesses ko online global market tak pahunchane ka agreement kiya hai. Eligible firms ko training milegi, aur taqreeban 2,000 businesses Alibaba.com par onboard ho sakti hain. SMEDA har eligible MSME ko Rs150,000 tak reimbursement support de sakti hai. Sports goods, textiles aur related export sectors ko pehle mauqa milne ka imkaan hai.
