Pakistan’s energy transition enters a decisive phase as the LUMS Energy Institute, in collaboration with the National Grid Company, prepares to host a high-level national consultative workshop focused on the Power Sector Indigenization Road Map. Scheduled for May 24, 2025, at LUMS in Lahore, the forum is designed to bring coherence, urgency, and practical direction to Pakistan’s long-standing goal of reducing dependence on imported power equipment.
The workshop comes at a critical time when energy security, cost pressures, and foreign exchange constraints have made local manufacturing not just desirable, but essential.
Policy Leadership
Federal Minister for Energy, Power Division, Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, will attend as Chief Guest, signaling strong political ownership of the Power Sector Indigenization Road Map. His presence underscores the government’s intent to align industrial policy with energy sector reform, ensuring that localization efforts translate into tangible outcomes.
Chairman Pakistan Engineering Council, Engr. Waseem Nazir, will also address the gathering, emphasizing the role of regulatory frameworks, standards, and professional capacity in accelerating indigenous manufacturing across the power value chain.
Academic and Institutional Collaboration
According to Prof. Dr. Fiaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Chairman of the Board of Directors at the National Grid Company and Senior Advisor at the LUMS Energy Institute, the workshop aims to convert dialogue into direction. He noted that the Power Sector Indigenization Road Map requires coordination between policymakers, utilities, manufacturers, and academia to succeed.
LUMS’ involvement reflects the growing role of research institutions in shaping applied industrial policy, particularly in technically complex sectors like power generation, transmission, and distribution.
Digital Breakthrough
A major highlight of the event will be the launch of Pakistan’s first Power Equipment Manufacturing Dashboard. Developed by the LUMS Energy Institute, this real-time digital platform will support the Power Sector Indigenization Road Map by tracking localization levels, mapping domestic vendor capacity, and highlighting investment gaps.
The dashboard is expected to become a central planning tool for policymakers and utilities, enabling data-driven decisions rather than fragmented procurement practices that have historically hindered local industry growth.
Related: Asia Energy Transition Summit 2025 Concludes at LUMS with Strong Regional Participation
Industry Participation
The workshop will bring together senior leadership from across Pakistan’s power sector, including heads of WAPDA, CPPA-G, DISCOs, K-Electric, and the Power Planning and Monitoring Company. Their participation ensures that discussions around the Power Sector Indigenization Road Map are grounded in operational realities rather than abstract policy goals.
Local manufacturers and engineering firms will also play a central role, sharing on-ground challenges related to financing, scale, technology transfer, and demand certainty.
Addressing Structural Challenges
Expert-led sessions will focus on identifying which electrical equipment categories can be localized in the short, medium, and long term. Transformers, switchgear, meters, conductors, and protection systems are among the areas expected to receive close scrutiny under the Power Sector Indigenization Road Map.
Discussions will also assess whether existing procurement policies unintentionally discourage local suppliers and how revisions could unlock domestic capacity without compromising quality or reliability.
Alignment with National Reforms
The initiative directly supports the National Electricity Policy 2023–2027, which prioritizes indigenous capability, cost reduction, and sustainability. By embedding the Power Sector Indigenization Road Map within broader energy reforms, policymakers aim to ensure continuity beyond individual projects or political cycles.
Reducing import dependence in the power sector is also expected to ease pressure on foreign reserves and stabilize tariff trajectories over time.
Toward Energy Sovereignty
Stakeholder recommendations emerging from the workshop will be consolidated and presented to decision-makers for implementation. This outcome-oriented approach distinguishes the Power Sector Indigenization Road Map from previous consultations that lacked follow-through.
As Pakistan confronts rising energy demand and fiscal constraints, building a resilient local manufacturing base is no longer optional. With strong institutional backing, digital tools, and coordinated leadership, the workshop represents a meaningful step toward energy sovereignty and industrial renewal.
