Over 500 Pakistani developers from 136 studios were given a ground-breaking platform to present their apps on a worldwide scale at Google’s Think Apps 2023 event in Lahore, Pakistan.
Think Apps, dubbed as the largest offline gathering focused on apps and games, drew a passionate group of developers as well as well-known business and industry professionals from all around Pakistan. The purpose of the event was to teach and empower attendees about the art of marketing apps and games created in Pakistan to a global audience.
Think Apps is a follow-up to the wildly popular Think Games and Gaming Growth Lab events held in Pakistan the previous year. These events saw 1,600 creators and 50 early-stage gaming studios receive coaching and mentoring to compete successfully on the international gaming scene, thanks to Google’s consistent backing.
Furthermore, Google’s influence went beyond games, as demonstrated by the upskilling of over 5,000 Cloud developers and 3,000 Android developers thanks to neighborhood-based programs like Cloud Seekho S5 and Android Seekho S2.
Pakistan’s developers’ efforts have not gone ignored, as seen by the nation’s tremendous rise in app download rankings from 27th place in 2018 to 16th place in 2023. A stunning 4 billion people downloaded Pakistani-developed apps globally in 2022, representing a tremendous compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30% from 2018 to 2020. Additionally, in 2022 alone, a stunning 65 apps from 24 local developers achieved top 10 positions in the gaming and apps categories of the Play Store and App Store.
Google is increasing its support for the Think Apps program to keep creating online prospects for Pakistani studios and developers. The program, which aims to offer thorough insights from international specialists, focuses on three key areas:
- Build for Quality: Inspiring developers to craft high-quality games with engaging gameplay and creative design, ensuring a successful and lasting user experience.
- Build for Profitability: Equipping developers with the right Google AI-powered ad solutions to drive profitable growth, acquire new users, and extend their reach globally.
- Build for Sustainability: Enabling developers to stay ahead of the curve by keeping up with industry trends, surpassing competitors, and creating unique advantages for long-term success.
Google’s Director for Pakistan, Farhan S. Qureshi, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting Pakistan’s developer community. He believes Pakistan has a huge opportunity to be a key player in determining the direction of the global app economy. He is adamant that Google’s AI-powered solutions will enable local developers to produce exceptional applications and games, accelerate their growth, and leave their mark on the world through Think applications 2023.
The Hazel Mobile Group, a well-known game creation business in Pakistan, adopted Google’s AAA (Android, AdMob, and Ads) Growth Framework to produce more than 100 games and applications. Over 200 employment have been created in Pakistan as a result of this program, and two billion apps have been downloaded globally.
Hazel Mobile’s Chief Technology Officer Waqas Ahmed praised Google for its unwavering support, priceless insights, and strategic counsel, which have helped to create their long-term vision and growth strategy.
In Pakistan’s expanding app development business, Google’s Think Apps 2023 has ignited a surge of excitement and possibility. Pakistani developers are poised to dominate the global app market and have a profound impact on the digital landscape thanks to Google’s constant support and cutting-edge AI-powered solutions.
