LAHORE – Apps and games developed in Pakistan recorded 4.6 billion downloads worldwide over the past 12 months, Google said on Thursday, highlighting the sector’s potential to contribute to the country’s digital exports.
The company shared the figures at Think Apps 2026 in Lahore, where Pakistani developers and international industry experts discussed the use of artificial intelligence to improve production, attract users and expand into overseas markets.
Sessions focused on growth strategies and monetisation as studios contend with increasing competition and rising user acquisition costs.
Opportunities for local studios
Google said Pakistan’s app and gaming industry now supported more than 30,000 professionals, with studios such as Game District and Funsol developing products for audiences beyond the domestic market.
Farhan Qureshi, Google’s cluster director for Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand and Frontier Markets, said the international reach of Pakistani developers reflected the strength of local talent.
“The global impact of Pakistan’s developers reflects the world-class talent and ambition driving the local ecosystem,” he said.
He added that the company aimed to help studios use AI to develop products for international audiences, strengthen their businesses and increase Pakistan’s participation in the global digital economy.
Experts at the event discussed how AI could accelerate coding, support creative production and help developers respond to changing user needs. They also emphasised the importance of product quality and retaining users to sustain growth.
Tools for development and expansion
Under its “Build, Yield and Scale” roadmap, Google outlined tools intended to support studios through product development, user acquisition and revenue generation.
The company said Google Cloud AI could assist developers in building products, while Google Ads and AdMob could support audience growth and advertising revenue.
It also highlighted opportunities to enter new categories and markets, pointing to Google Play’s global reach of more than three billion monthly active users.
AI training pledge
Google reiterated its pledge to train 100,000 developers in Pakistan in AI by 2028, saying the initiative would support the development of new apps and games.
The company also highlighted plans to enable the local production of 500,000 Chromebooks to broaden access to technology for education.
Separately, it said 200,000 families had received online safety training through its Digital Pasban programme.
Sarfraz Ali
The writer is an Editor of Digital Media for Daily Pakistan. He can be contacted at sarfraz1168@gmail.com.