Recently, four prominent e-commerce entrepreneurs from Pakistan returned from Alibaba e-Founders Fellowship Program which took place in Hang Zhou, from 24th March till 4th April at the Alibaba Campus. This was a collaboration between United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the Alibaba Business School, the 11-day rigorous program essentially aimed at bridging the digital divide by using entrepreneurial skills to the fullest potential. This program has previously been executed for Africa. This year, in the first ever Asian class, Pakistan was the only South Asian country who qualified for the program. Other countries that participated in the program included Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Philippines and Thailand.

The four e-Founders who made it to the program included Anum Kamran, CEO of Buyon.pk, an online marketplace enabling small to medium-sized businesses in Pakistan, Furquan Kidwai, CEO of Dawaai.pk and Well.pk, an online pharmacy network providing doorstep delivery for prescription medicines, M. Komail Naqvi, Co-Founder of FindMyAdventure.PK, a tourism platform that connects local tour providers from Pakistan with international and local travelers and Hamza Iftikhar, Co-Founder of DealSmash, a mobile app for shoppers providing offers through observing buying patterns of customers.

Last week these Alibaba fellows shared their invigorating experience and learnings at a session hosted by Pakistan E-Commerce Consortium at Institute of Business Administration (IBA). They reached at this point, after passing through tamed pathways and tight scrutiny by Pakistan Innovation Foundation in collaboration with Ignite, entered to the China’s innovation hub, Alibaba Campus, Hangzhou. These four youngsters were fortune enough to be graduated from Alibaba eFounders Fellowship Program Asia Class A program that is the joint initiative of the UNCTAD and Alibaba Business School, their prime purpose is to share and taught young entrepreneurs unlocking their true potential there by taking them to the highs of digital world. These youngsters made a promise while leaving Fellowship program that they will spread the knowledge with others and will not keep by themselves only. And, they have made their promise by conducting this small yet informative event within the smallest span of time.