(Tabinda Islam)
The Arfa Karim Group (AKG) is a national mission to realize the digital destiny of Pakistan, inspired by its brightest star. Founded to immortalize the legacy of Arfa Karim Randhawa, the world’s youngest Microsoft Certified Professional, AKG is the physical manifestation of her dream. We stand as a unique testament to what can be achieved through sheer will, strategic vision, and community action, having built our entire ecosystem without any external donors, international funds, or investors. Our impact is a product of Pakistani ingenuity and resolve.
Mission and Vision:
Our mission is to architect Pakistan’s Digicon Valley—a nationwide ecosystem that fuses Digital Innovation with Conscious Entrepreneurship to create sustainable social and economic value. We envision a Pakistan where every city and village is a node in a dynamic network of innovation, where youth are not just job seekers but job creators.
Key Initiatives: The Pillars of Digicon Valley
- Arfa Karim Technology Incubator (AKTI): The Innovation Foundry
AKTI is the core engine of Digicon Valley, actively building the next generation of tech giants. It has grown into Pakistan’s most extensive technology incubation network, with 18 state-of-the-art incubators nationwide. This infrastructure provides the physical backbone for our national digital strategy.
Impact & Scale: Has trained over 25,000+ aspiring entrepreneurs and developers in frontier technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, and Cloud Computing.
Quantifiable Success: Boasts a market-leading 72% success rate in transitioning trainees into high-impact careers in Freelancing, Jobs, and Startups, directly injecting talent and innovation into the economy.
- Arfa Karim Foundation (AKF): The Bridge to Inclusive Prosperity
AKF ensures the dividends of the digital revolution reach every single Pakistani, making Digicon Valley inclusive and grassroots-driven.
Rural Entrepreneurship Centers: We are demystifying technology for Pakistan’s heartland. With 7 centers launched in Cohort 1 and 21 in Cohort 2, we have trained over 1,000 villagers in practical skills like Entrepreneurship, Social Media Marketing, and AI. The impact is immediate and economic: over 200 of these trainees are now actively earning more than PKR 30,000 per month, becoming catalysts for change in their communities.
Large-Scale Sensitization: In partnership with the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF), we have sensitized over 25,000 students across the public school system on the critical importance of IT literacy and entrepreneurial thinking, planting the seeds for a future generation of innovators.
Pioneering Inclusion: We run specialized, dignity-driven upskilling programs for marginalized communities, including the Transgender community, providing them with the tools for financial independence and social integration.
- Arfa Karim Education System (AKES): The Foundational Core
AKES is the essential pipeline that feeds Digicon Valley with capable, ethical, and future-ready talent. A project under the “Mein Digital” initiative, AKES acts as a powerful social mobilizer for the Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF), Government of Punjab.
Future-Proof Education: We are launching a transformative K-12 education program designed to redefine learning from the ground up. This curriculum fully integrates skill-based learning, entrepreneurial mindset, and cutting-edge IT and AI education at the grassroots level, ensuring students are not just consumers of technology but creators by the time they graduate.
Leadership and Legacy: A Team Forged in Resilience
The journey of AKG is steered by a dedicated leadership team and a dedicated workforce of 135 passionate professionals who turn vision into reality every day.
Strategic Guidance: CEO Tabinda Islam provides the overall strategic direction and leadership, steering the organization towards its vision of a Digicon Valley. Her leadership ensures that all initiatives align with the core mission of empowering youth through technology and entrepreneurship.
The Custodians of Vision: Mr. Amjad Karim Randhawa, the strategic Think Tank, provides the long-term blueprint. Mrs. Samina Amjad personifies the heart and soul of the initiative, ensuring Arfa’s compassionate and brilliant spirit infuses every program.
The Operational Architect: COO Usman Hussain, a Director of AKG, serves as the key IT infuser and operational backbone of the entire organization. He is instrumental in translating the strategic vision into actionable, scalable, and technology-driven programs across all 18 incubators and nationwide initiatives, ensuring operational excellence and technological integration at every level.
This powerful leadership trio, combined with our committed team, has achieved this monumental impact through a self-sustaining model. We are proof that with clear vision and relentless effort, Pakistani talent can build world-class institutions on its own terms.
The Future is Collective: Join Us in Building Digicon Valley
Our ambition is to blanket Pakistan with the opportunities of Digicon Valley. This achievement, built without external aid, demonstrates the power of collective will. We call upon every professional, academic, and citizen to join this movement. Lend your expertise as a mentor, your voice as an advocate, or your time as a volunteer. Together, we can continue to write Pakistan’s digital future ourselves.