Pakistan firm gets PTA nod to manufacture Samsung smartphones

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued a local firm the license to manufacture Samsung smartphones locally.

“In accordance with Mobile Device Manufacturing (MDM) Regulations 2021, PTA has issued MDM authorization to Lucky Motor Corporation Limited for manufacturing of Samsung brand mobile devices,” read a statement issued by the regulator.

The company applied for authorisation to set up a mobile device manufacturing plant in Karachi.

“The authorization to manufacture Samsung Mobile devices in Pakistan is a landmark achievement and will further revolutionize the vibrant mobile manufacturing ecosystem in the country by ensuring presence of major local and foreign players in the market,” the PTA said.

“This is possible only due to the conducive policies of the Government of Pakistan in its ‘Digital Pakistan’ endeavor.”

The authority said it has so far issued MDM authorisations to 25 foreign and local companies for the production of mobile devices (2G, 3G, and 4G) locally.

Mobile devices manufactured by these companies will not only be sold in the country but will also be exported to other competitive markets of the region and beyond, it added.

Federal Energy Minister Hammad Azhar last month announced that South Korean tech giant Samsung had entered into a joint venture with the firm to set up a smartphone manufacturing plant in Pakistan.

“I congratulate Lucky Group and Samsung on entering into a JV to manufacture smartphones in Pakistan. These positive developments are evidence of the success of DIRBS [Device Identification, Registration, and Blocking System] system that eliminated smuggling of phones. And then followed up by Mobile Manufacturing policy last year,” he tweeted.