Google Think Apps 2024 launched in Lahore on Wednesday, uniting nearly 350 of Pakistan’s top developers and global and regional industry leaders.
A significant opportunity for Pakistani developers lies in creating high-quality, sustainable games while expanding global user reach, which is a priority. Building on the previous year’s success, this year’s event has become the industry’s largest, focusing on empowering developers to leverage AI for innovation, growth, and sustainability within Pakistan’s burgeoning app industry.
To reinforce its commitment to developers, Google is introducing new programs in 2024:
- Game Design Masterclass: The program gathers the most talented game developers from top Pakistani studios for a dedicated six-month course on creating high-quality games.
- Google Ads Academy: These are in-person, offline hackathon workshops held in Lahore and Islamabad, where marketing professionals from top studios receive training on app growth strategies.
- Build with AI and Cloud AI Study Jams: The program allows developers to enhance their skills with hands-on AI and Cloud training. To date, over 9,300 developers have benefited from it.
These initiatives build on Google’s ongoing efforts to support Pakistani developers, such as the Google App Academy, which has already reached over 800 participants.
The online workshops for marketing professionals provide comprehensive insights into crucial marketing strategies and are available in Urdu to maximize reach and profitability.
Moreover, Google is intensifying its involvement in significant events like the Google Developer Conference (US), CXO meetups in APAC, and the APAC App Summit, facilitating connections between leaders of Pakistan’s top gaming and app studios and their global counterparts.
“Pakistan’s app and gaming industry holds great potential for long-term growth,” said Farhan S Qureshi, Google’s Director for Pakistan.
“Think Apps 2024 demonstrates our dedication to empowering local developers. By providing access to our AI-powered products and resources, we aim to assist them in creating exceptional games and apps, driving profitability, and establishing sustainable businesses.
The effort will also help enhance the country’s economy through digital exports and provide valuable employment opportunities. Google remains committed to investing in Pakistan’s developer ecosystem and supporting its global success,” concluded the director.
