Indus RAS Expo 2026 Concludes with Strong Public Participation and Major Robotics and Autonomous Systems Showcase.
The Indus Robotics and Autonomous Systems Expo 2026 has concluded successfully at the Pak China Friendship Centre, Islamabad, after two days of exhibitions, live demonstrations, expert discussions, workshops, competitions and strong public participation.
Organized by Ignite National Technology Fund under the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, in collaboration with the National Centre of Robotics and Automation and the NUST College of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, the Expo brought together government institutions, defence organizations, academia, industry leaders, researchers, startups, investors, students and technology professionals from across Pakistan.
The Expo was inaugurated by the Chief Guest, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, the Guest of Honour, Chief of Army Staff & Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), HJ, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Ms. Shaza Fatima Khawaja, members of the Federal Government, distinguished ambassadors, senior officials, academics, industry leaders and innovators also attended the opening ceremony.
During the inaugural ceremony, the Prime Minister announced the Pakistan Venture Fund with an initial commitment of USD 20 million to encourage technology investment and support innovation led enterprises. He also launched the SPARK and ELEVATE programmes to help researchers, startups and technology companies turn ideas and research into commercially viable products, competitive businesses and employment opportunities.
The Expo featured 55 pavilions, including 13 startups and 42 leading organizations from the private and defence sectors. Exhibitors showcased locally developed technologies, advanced prototypes and applied research in defence robotics, drone technology, industrial automation, maritime autonomous systems, agritech, Physical AI, human machine collaboration and artificial intelligence based decision support systems.
A combined prize pool of PKR 5 million was awarded, with PKR 2 million presented to winning teams in RoboWars and PKR 3 million awarded across the RAS Innovation Challenge winning teams.
During the closing ceremony, Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication, Ms. Shaza Fatima Khawaja, said:
“Robotics and autonomous systems are becoming fundamental drivers of economic competitiveness, industrial modernization and national resilience. Indus RAS Expo 2026 reflects the Government of Pakistan’s and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif’s commitment to investing in innovation, empowering local talent and creating opportunities for our researchers and entrepreneurs to develop technologies that can compete on the global stage.”
More than 25,000 registered visitors attended the Expo over two days. Students, researchers, professionals, entrepreneurs and families participated in exhibitions, workshops, live demonstrations and interactive technology experiences. The Immersive Experience Dome was amongst the most popular attractions, offering a 360 degree digital journey that highlighted emerging technologies and Pakistan’s vision for a digitally empowered future.
CEO Ignite, Mr. Muhammad Bilal Abbasi, said:
“The Expo showed the importance of bringing government, academia, industry and innovators together on one national platform. He said the event strengthened connections, supported the commercialization of indigenous technologies and gave innovators opportunities to present solutions that can contribute to Pakistan’s technological future”
The Expo also served as a national platform for dialogue, networking and knowledge sharing. Six panel discussions, three plenary sessions, four practical workshops and several audience engagement activities covered industrial adoption, research commercialization, startup growth, technical skills, infrastructure requirements and a national policy framework for robotics and autonomous systems.
As part of the broader Indus AI initiative, Indus RAS Expo 2026 marked an important step towards building a connected national ecosystem for artificial intelligence, robotics and autonomous systems. The partnerships developed, ideas exchanged and technologies showcased will support research, commercialization, investment, skills development and industrial adoption.