Workshop on Power Sector held at LUMS
The high-profile event brought together senior leadership from the power sector, manufacturing industry, regulatory bodies, policymakers and academia to chart a cohesive national strategy for accelerating the localization of Pakistan's electrical power equipment manufacturing ecosystem.
Federal Minister for Energy (Power Division), Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari addressed the workshop through video link and commended the joint initiative, stating, 'NGC is the first national entity to implement an approved Indigenization Policy, and its strategic procurement model is already delivering tangible results'. He urged WAPDA, DISCOs, KE, and state-owned and private power generation plants to adopt indigenization as a strategic imperative not as CSR, but as a core procurement principle aligned with the National Electricity Plan 2023–2027.
A key milestone of the workshop was the launch of Pakistan's first Power Equipment Manufacturing Dashboard, developed by the LUMS Energy Institute with input from power sector stakeholders. This real-time digital tool will monitor localization progress, assess vendor capacity, and identify strategic investment opportunities under the Power Sector Indigenization Plan (PSIP).
The dashboard was jointly inaugurated by Dr Fiaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Chairman, Board of Directors, NGC, and Senior Advisor at the LUMS Energy Institute, Chairman Pakistan Engineering Council Engr Waseem Nazir and Managing Director NGC Engr Muhammad Waseem Younas.
Dr Chaudhry stated, 'NGC's indigenization strategy anchored in policy reform and targeted educational orders has already saved over USD 10 million in foreign exchange through import substitution.' He reaffirmed that LUMS will continue supporting policy design, digital innovation, and institutional transformation in the energy sector.
He said that under the ten-year Integrated Generation Capacity Expansion Plan (IGCEP) and Transmission Exposition Plan (TSEP), investment of US$8 billion would be needed in the transmission sector. We want these equipment and material to be manufactured in Pakistan, which will save valuable foreign exchange.
Managing Director NGC, Engr Muhammad Waseem Younas, outlined the tangible progress under the Indigenization Policy. Since 2022, NGC has placed over PKR 2 billion in local orders, including PKR 781 million in educational orders aimed at building industrial capacity. Additionally, NGC's revision of its Type Test Policy in 2023 to align with international benchmarks has opened the door for local manufacturers to compete globally.
The workshop featured a distinguished panel of institutional leaders, including Dr Tahir Masood, Chairman BOD, IESCO; Engr Abid Latif Lodhi, MD, PPMC; Syed Moonis Abdullah Alvi, CEO, K-Electric; Dhanpat Kotak, Chairman BOD, NPPMC; and Mian Suhail Husain, former BOD member, EDB, among other senior representatives from regulatory institutions and industry. The discussions addressed bottlenecks to localization across the generation, transmission, and distribution value chain, and explored enabling policies for the manufacturing sector.
Dr Tariq Jadoon, Provost, LUMS, added, 'LUMS stands committed as a national platform for evidence-based policymaking, innovation, and industry transformation.' Dr Naveed Arshad, Director, LUMS Energy Institute and BoD Member, NGC, noted, 'LEI is helping to reimagine energy localization through interdisciplinary R&D.'
The workshop concluded with consensus on actionable steps to align procurement practices with national localization goals, foster technology partnerships, and create a clear roadmap for import substitution. Dedicated sessions assessed the readiness of local manufacturers, outlined investment needs, and proposed mechanisms to improve coordination between utilities, government, and academia.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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