LAHORE - Fostering the development of agricultural innovation, Telenor Pakistan is empowering the agriculture ecosystem in the country with the official unveiling of Khushaal Watan platform designed to digitally enable the rural community and farmers. The platform was unveiled by Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Minister of Foreign Affairs at Telenor Pakistan’s 345 campus in Islamabad. The event also anchored around a discussion between experts from Telenor Pakistan, GSMA and Tabadlab to contribute towards a report with key recommendations to nurture the agriculture ecosystem in the country.
The agriculture sector contributes 24% towards the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Pakistan and accounts for half of the total labour force in the country1. Developed especially to boost this important sector of the country, the improved and advanced Khushaal Watan platform is equipped with special features, such as live video calls with experts in and out of the field, ranging from livestock experts to medical and legal experts to enable the rural community. The platform’s custom-made, localised services offer users relevant advice on weather, healthcare, crops and livestock management along with all necessary information about pests and diseases affecting their produce. With the advanced ‘KhushaalWatan’ platform, Telenor Pakistan is at the forefront in digitalising the agriculture ecosystem for prosperous rural communities across the country. 
“Agriculture is Pakistan’s economic backbone and in this era of digitalisation, it is crucial for digital interventions in this sector to enhance efficiency. We are proud to extend our expertise in technology to empower the farmers and rural community” said Irfan Wahab Khan, CEO Telenor Pakistan. “I am grateful to GSMA for their global expertise and knowledge as a partner to further the digital agriculture; and for Tabadlabfor partnering with us to share the potential and recommendations to make this sector future ready”.  
“The GSMA unifies the global, mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments and societal change. We are excited to combine our experience in the design and development of agriculture-focused services with the innovation-led approach of Telenor Pakistan.”