The Center for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi, hosted a high-stakes session on Saturay featuring Syed Shabbar Zaidi, former chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and former senior partner at A. F. Ferguson & Co. , now PwC. The session, titled “Securing Capital and Global Survival for Pakistani Startups,” was held at the IBA City Campus and was attended by student founders, alumni entrepreneurs, faculty, and members of the startup ecosystem. Dr. Lalarukh Ejaz, Director IBA CED and ORIC, welcomed the distinguished guest and underscored the relevance of his expertise for founders operating in Pakistan’s volatile economic landscape. She noted that Mr. Zaidi’s unique blend of public policy leadership and private-sector experience provides critical perspective for entrepreneurs seeking to scale in challenging conditions. Drawing on decades of expertise in economic policy and corporate governance, Zaidi shared insights to help entrepreneurs navigate today’s economic uncertainty and compete on a global stage. He spoke at length about the importance of understanding entrepreneurship within the Pakistani context, highlighting the dearth of local case studies and local role models available to young founders. Zaidi urged participants to move away from the Western narrative that “everyone wants to be Bill Gates” and instead study homegrown examples of companies such as TRG and Rehmat-e-Shereen that have scaled successfully while rooted in local realities. Addressing the capital landscape, Zaidi stated that investors are fundamentally driven by the returns startups offer them. He advised founders to explore investment through diverse channels rather than focusing exclusively on venture capital funding, particularly given the constraints of the domestic market. He also addressed the challenges of building enterprises in a weak institutional environment where significant capital remains accumulated in the grey economy, noting that this structural reality directly i m p a c t s c o m p l i a n c e , growth, and access to formal finance for legitimate startups. The session concluded with an interactive discussion, during which IBA founders and alumni engaged Mr. Zaidi on issues of taxation, SECP compliance, and strategies for cross-border expansion. The Center for Entrepreneurial Development at IBA champions student and alumni ventures through incubation, mentorship, investor access, and policy advocacy. As an AACSB-accredited institution marking 70 years of impact, IBA remains committed to fostering entrepreneurship that is both globally competitive and locally relevant.
