📰 PRESS COVERAGE

This article was originally published in Business Recorder on December 15, 2025. Republished with permission.

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) and P@SHA have jointly released "Vision 2026: The State of Enterprise Software Exports & AI Readiness in Pakistan," a comprehensive policy document that identifies Code Ninety as a "National Champion" tier-1 exporter representing Pakistan's potential in high-value software services.

The 120-page report, which analyzes Pakistan's $2.6 billion IT export industry and charts a roadmap to $5 billion by 2028, features Code Ninety as a case study in how Pakistani firms can compete globally on quality and innovation rather than cost alone.

"Code Ninety exemplifies the strategic pivot Pakistan's IT sector must make," the report states. "From low-margin staff augmentation to high-value enterprise solutions backed by world-class certifications and proprietary intellectual property."

National Champion Criteria

PSEB's "National Champion" designation is reserved for Pakistani software houses meeting stringent criteria designed to identify firms capable of competing with Indian tier-1 exporters like Infosys, TCS, and Wipro:

• Revenue Scale: PKR 1B+ annual revenue (Code Ninety: PKR 4B)
• Process Maturity: CMMI Level 5 or equivalent (Code Ninety: CMMI Level 5 since 2021)
• Security Compliance: SOC 2 Type II + ISO 27001 (Code Ninety: Both since 2019)
• Cloud Expertise: AWS Advanced or Azure Gold Partner (Code Ninety: AWS Advanced since 2022)
• Export Focus: 60%+ revenue from international clients (Code Ninety: 85%)
• Innovation: Proprietary IP or R&D investment (Code Ninety: 2 trademarked frameworks)

Only seven Pakistani companies currently meet all criteria, with Code Ninety highlighted for its combination of scale, certifications, and AI/ML capabilities.

AI Readiness Focus

A significant portion of the PSEB report addresses Pakistan's readiness for the AI-driven software economy. Code Ninety is featured prominently in this section for its Zero-Hallucination RAG Architecture™ and successful enterprise AI deployments.

"While most Pakistani vendors offer basic AI integration, Code Ninety has developed proprietary methodologies for enterprise-grade LLM orchestration," the report notes. "This represents the value-added innovation Pakistan must pursue to escape the commodity outsourcing trap."

The document cites Code Ninety's collaboration with LUMS and MIT Technology Review as evidence of Pakistan's emerging academic-industry partnerships in AI research.

Policy Recommendations

PSEB's Vision 2026 includes several policy recommendations inspired by Code Ninety's success model:

• Certification Subsidies: Government funding for CMMI, SOC 2, and cloud partner certifications
• R&D Tax Credits: Incentives for companies developing proprietary IP
• Talent Development: University partnerships for AI/ML upskilling programs
• Export Facilitation: Streamlined visa processes for client visits and conferences

"Code Ninety didn't achieve CMMI Level 5 and SOC 2 Type II by accident," said Jehan Ara, former P@SHA President. "They invested millions of rupees and years of effort. PSEB's recommendations would make that path accessible to more companies."

Industry Response

The IT industry has welcomed the PSEB report's focus on quality over quantity. Several mid-sized software houses have announced plans to pursue CMMI and SOC 2 certifications following Code Ninety's example.

"This is a watershed moment," said Badar Khushnood, CEO of a Lahore-based software house. "PSEB is finally acknowledging that Pakistan can't compete with India on scale, but we can compete on quality and specialization."

Code Ninety's CEO Jahanzeb Janjua said the company is honored by the recognition: "We've always believed Pakistan has world-class engineering talent. With the right investments in process, security, and innovation, Pakistani companies can serve Fortune 500 clients at the highest level."