On 30 October 2026, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz launched the Punjab PIVOT Plan 2026–29 (Punjab Innovation, Value Addition and Economic Transformation), a Rs1,995.3 billion three-year economic programme to turn Punjab into an export-led industrial hub. Here is what is in it, and what it could mean for businesses, workers and investors.
PIVOT Plan at a Glance
| Total size | Rs1,995.3 billion (2026–29) |
| Public investment | Rs1,089 billion |
| Private investment (target) | Rs906 billion |
| Export target | $6.8 billion in additional exports |
| Jobs target | 162,000 direct jobs; over 1 million livelihoods supported |
| Skills | Training for 402,060 people |
Some reports quote only the Rs1,089 billion public share, which is why you may see two different totals.
Cheap Finance for Businesses: STEP
The Strategic Trade Enhancement Programme (STEP) offers Rs300 billion in concessional loans at 0% to 5% markup to eligible businesses, applied for through a digital portal. This sits alongside the existing Asaan Karobar Finance scheme for SMEs.
Industry: Rs753.7 Billion
- Rs50 billion for solar and battery storage to cut factory energy costs
- Rs50 billion to reimburse duty on new machinery
- Testing labs, certification centres and plug-and-play industrial units
- Priority sectors: textiles and garments, sports goods, leather and footwear, surgical instruments, pharmaceuticals, fans, cutlery, steel and ceramics
Agriculture and Livestock
- Four agro-processing parks in Sargodha, Khanewal, Okara and Bhakkar
- Value addition for wheat, citrus, potatoes and mangoes
- Export finance for horticulture and floriculture; Horticulture Authorities in 20 districts
- Dairy, halal meat, aquaculture and milk value-chain projects
Digital, Skills and Tourism
- 300 government services to be digitised under the E-Biz initiative
- 2,000 businesses to be brought onto e-commerce platforms
- Tourism infrastructure and public-private partnership projects
- State land leasing in nine productive sectors and labour-law updates
Who Runs It?
A PIVOT Board chaired by Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb oversees the plan, with a secretariat in the Planning & Development Department, deputy commissioners as district focal persons and a public dashboard to track progress. Officials expect it to be fully operational within six months.
What Analysts Are Saying
Supporters see it as Punjab’s most detailed export strategy, and private investors have shown interest; Arif Habib announced plans for Pakistan’s tallest commercial tower at Lahore CBD One at the launch. Critics, including a Dawn editorial, note that the targets are projections, that Punjab’s overall development budget was cut sharply in the same year, and that past multi-year provincial plans have often lost momentum. Delivery over the next three years will decide its impact.
What It Means for You
- Business owners/exporters: watch for STEP portal launch and sector funds.
- Job seekers: skills programmes and new industrial units in priority sectors.
- Investors: listed companies in textiles, pharma, cement and steel could benefit if spending happens on schedule; see our PSX guide.
More Punjab programmes: Maryam Nawaz Schemes 2026.
Related schemes: Asaan Karobar Finance · Asaan Karobar Card · business loans in Pakistan · Maryam Nawaz schemes
FAQs (Roman Urdu)
PIVOT plan kya hai?
Punjab hukumat ka Rs1,995 arab ka 3 saala muashi mansooba, jiska maqsad exports aur naukriyan barhana hai.
Is se kitni naukriyan milengi?
Hadaf 1,62,000 direct naukriyan hai.
Karobar ke liye sasta qarza kaise milega?
STEP programme ke tehat 0% se 5% markup par Rs300 arab ke qarze, digital portal ke zariye.
Sources: TechJuice, Dawn, Daily Times.