Pakistan’s technology industry has undergone a quiet transformation over the past two decades, led by a new generation of entrepreneurs and engineers who have steadily pushed the country’s presence into international markets. Among them is Muhammad Burhan Mirza, a Karachi-born computer engineer whose work in digital trade and technology exports has played a pivotal role in linking local firms with global clients and partners.
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At one point, Mirza’s efforts were associated with facilitating billions of dollars in technology-related remittances, according to media and industry sources familiar with the export sector. Over nearly twenty years, he has contributed to Pakistan’s gradual shift from being a peripheral outsourcing destination to an active participant in the global digital economy.
Born in 1981, Mirza graduated in Computer Engineering from the Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology in Karachi before moving to Nashville, Tennessee, where he was introduced to the top Tech companies. His early exposure to the corporate tech environment abroad shaped his understanding of how innovation and structured policy could accelerate growth in developing markets.
Upon returning to Pakistan, Mirza found himself at the right place and time. The mid-2000s marked the rise of e-commerce and online business platforms across Asia. In 2006, he joined TradeKey, a Karachi-based global business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce company founded by Waleed Abalkhail. The platform aimed to connect exporters, manufacturers, and service providers from emerging economies with buyers around the world Pakistan’s answer to Alibaba.
Starting as an intern, Mirza’s ascent within the company was rapid. He eventually took charge of its International Business Division, overseeing a team responsible for expanding TradeKey’s reach and partnerships across multiple continents. “Imagine your team members not trusting you because you’re the newest one in the group,” he recalled in an earlier interview. “There were many trust issues at the start, but I saw that as an opportunity to prove what local talent could achieve.”
During his tenure, TradeKey expanded its portfolio of services and entered strategic collaborations with regional trade organizations and industry players. The platform’s model helped introduce thousands of small and medium-sized Pakistani enterprises to online trade for the first time.
Industry observers note that companies like TradeKey not only boosted Pakistan’s visibility in global e-commerce but also contributed to the foundation of today’s tech export ecosystem. “TradeKey’s growth demonstrated that Pakistan could build scalable, tech-driven platforms for global audiences,” said a Karachi-based IT analyst familiar with the sector’s evolution.
After nearly a decade at TradeKey, Mirza moved on to launch independent ventures focusing on digital marketing, software development, and blockchain applications. According to Dawn News and other reports, these ventures generated substantial revenues, with some estimates placing combined earnings in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, Pakistan’s tech industry, like much of the world, faced unprecedented disruption. Yet even amid financial uncertainty, Mirza was reported to have extended financial support to employees and local communities affiliated with his companies, a gesture described by industry peers as part of his broader commitment to social responsibility.
His approach reflected a growing trend among Pakistani entrepreneurs who began seeing corporate success as inseparable from social impact. “The pandemic was a defining moment,” said a former TradeKey executive. “Leaders like Mirza set an example by ensuring their teams and communities were not left behind.”
In the years following the pandemic, Mirza shifted his focus from operations to mentorship and ecosystem development. He co-founded Skill360, an educational platform aimed at improving employability through leadership and career training, and Coach360, a firm providing corporate learning, staff development, and startup advisory services.
Both initiatives emerged as part of a broader movement within Pakistan’s private sector to address the skills gap limiting the country’s participation in the global digital economy. The Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) estimates that the IT and IT-enabled services sector employs over 600,000 professionals, but experts say many graduates still lack the practical training required by international clients.
Mirza’s initiatives seek to bridge that divide by combining technical learning with leadership development. “Our youth; skilled, ambitious, and already operating on global platforms; need support, not roadblocks,” he later wrote in a 2025 commentary for Trade Chronicle.
His comments echoed a growing frustration among Pakistan’s tech entrepreneurs, many of whom have warned that inconsistent policymaking, taxation issues, and limited access to venture capital continue to hinder the sector’s growth.
Industry experts agree that Pakistan’s technology exports currently valued at around $3 billion annually have significant room for expansion, but require sustained policy support. “There’s immense talent and opportunity here,” said a Lahore-based startup investor. “But without stability and clear incentives, innovation struggles to scale.”
Now primarily working as an advisor and angel investor in early-stage startups, Mirza remains deeply involved in efforts to build capacity across the digital sector. His recent projects have centered on leadership education, talent retention, and organizational culture areas he believes are critical for sustainable innovation.
He is also in the process of writing a series of books on leadership and skill development, expanding on the themes that have shaped much of his professional life. Colleagues describe him as a strategist who views Pakistan’s digital transformation as both a business challenge and a national mission.
As the government continues its efforts to attract foreign investment and expand IT exports, figures like Mirza represent a generation of technologists who have bridged the gap between global opportunity and local potential. Their stories underscore the promise of Pakistan’s digital economy, one built not just on code and commerce, but on vision, resilience, and a belief in what homegrown talent can achieve on the world stage.
