The Media Line: 7 Pakistanis on Forbes Under 30 Asia 2026 List Highlight Pakistan’s Shift Toward an Innovation-Led Economy 

7 Pakistanis on Forbes Under 30 Asia 2026 List Highlight Pakistan’s Shift Toward an Innovation-Led Economy 

The 2026 cohort was selected from nearly 4,000 nominations across 18 countries and territories, with candidates evaluated on innovation, impact, growth, and leadership potential  

By Arshad Mehmood/The Media Line 

[Islamabad] Seven Pakistanis have been named to the Forbes Under 30 Asia 2026 list, highlighting the country’s growing influence across technology, science, finance, social impact and entertainment. 

 The honorees include four men, Muhammad Furqan Karim Kidwai, Sarfraz Shahid Hussain, Syed Ismail, and Fahad Shahbaz, and three women, Maheera Ghani, Hania Aamir, and Saman Kamran.  

Published annually by Forbes Asia, the prestigious list recognizes 300 of the region’s most promising innovators, entrepreneurs, creators, and change makers under the age of 30 across 10 categories.  

This year’s edition highlights a new generation of Pakistanis whose work is gaining recognition well beyond national borders.  

Their recognition comes as Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Asia list continues to spotlight young leaders shaping the future of the Asia-Pacific region.  

According to Forbes, the 2026 cohort was selected from nearly 4,000 nominations across 18 countries and territories, with candidates evaluated on innovation, impact, growth, and leadership potential.   

Pakistan’s strong presence was evident in the Finance & Venture Capital category, where Kidwai and Hussain were honored for co-founding Singapore-based Plouton AI, reflecting the country’s growing footprint in global fintech innovation.  

Supported by Antler Singapore, the start-up develops AI-powered automation tools that help mid-sized businesses streamline financial operations and improve efficiency through intelligent workflow management.  

Ismail, co-founder of Karachi-based start-up Saraaf, was recognized in the Consumer & Enterprise Technology category.  

Founded in 2021, Saraaf is transforming commodity sourcing across Central and South Asia by digitizing supply chains for materials such as cotton, minerals, and natural stone. The company attracted widespread attention after securing a multimillion-dollar investment commitment on Shark Tank Pakistan in 2024.  

Shahbaz earned recognition in the Social Impact category for founding the Youth General Assembly, a platform dedicated to empowering young people through leadership development, civic engagement, and policy dialogue. Since its launch in 2015, the initiative has connected thousands of young Pakistanis with opportunities to participate in governance and public affairs.  

In the field of science, Ghani was named to the Healthcare & Science category for her contributions to materials science research. A University of Cambridge PhD graduate, Ghani has combined academic excellence with advocacy through WinSci Pakistan, an initiative that encourages young women to pursue careers in STEM. Her efforts have received international recognition, including the Nature Inspiring Women in Science Award.  

In the Entertainment & Sports category, Aamir, an actor, secured a place on the prestigious list, highlighting her growing influence as one of Pakistan’s most recognizable entertainment figures. With a massive social media following and a rapidly expanding international fan base, Aamir has become one of the leading faces of Pakistan’s contemporary entertainment industry.  

Joining her is Kamran, a filmmaker, whose work has earned praise for tackling social and environmental issues through compelling storytelling. Her inclusion reflects the growing recognition of Pakistani creatives who use film and media to address critical societal challenges.  

The inclusion of seven Pakistanis across multiple sectors reflects the increasing diversity and maturity of the country’s talent pool. From deep-tech startups and scientific research to youth leadership, filmmaking, and artificial intelligence, this year’s honorees represent a generation that is redefining Pakistan’s global image through innovation and creativity.  

Kidwai, who founded Plouton AI along with fellow Forbes honoree Hussain, was born into an educated Karachi-based family with a strong tradition of academic and professional achievement. His father served as a senior official in the Federal Board of Revenue, while his mother holds a master’s degree in physical chemistry. Kidwai’s siblings are also highly qualified, with backgrounds in electronics engineering, space technology, and medicine. He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Habib University and completed Data Science intensive studies at Stanford University.   

Kidwai told The Media Line that his career began at Deloitte as a financial analyst, where he worked on IFRS 9 modeling. He later founded YPay Financial, a wealth management startup, followed by a period in tech consultancy. It was during this journey that he identified a critical gap in financial operations, an issue he is now addressing through Plouton AI.  

Regarding the recognition from Forbes, Kidwai told The Media Line, “Beyond individual recognition, it showcases the country’s ability to produce world-class founders, operators, researchers, and creators who are competing internationally.”  

Over the last decade, he noted, Pakistan has seen stronger startup ecosystems, improved access to technology, greater global exposure to education, and growing entrepreneurial communities.   

He underlined that with its young population, strong engineering talent, and experience in solving complex problems, Pakistan can become a meaningful contributor to the regional digital economy with the right policy and infrastructure support.   

However, he pointed out that access to capital, regulatory uncertainty, limited global networks, and challenges in talent retention remain key barriers, often forcing founders to navigate structural issues that are less prevalent in more mature ecosystems.  

He further observed increasing engagement among young Pakistanis through entrepreneurship, technology, social initiatives, and public discourse, actively shaping change rather than merely observing it. Kidwai concluded that this reflects a broader generational shift, with more Pakistani founders, researchers, and professionals gaining recognition on global platforms.  

The Media Line also spoke with Kamran, who is currently pursuing her producing track training in filmmaking in Busan, South Korea. Her short film “The Bed” became the only Pakistani film to screen at the Busan International Short Film Festival.   

Kamran was recognized for her work in films, documentaries, and music videos. Forbes highlighted her film “Gandhara: Land of Fragrance,” screened at an international festival, as well as her collaboration with New York-based artist Wong Kit Yi on an experimental project exploring fertility and ecological decline in Asia.   

She told The Media Line that she was born and raised in Peshawar before moving to Lahore to pursue higher education and build a career in filmmaking.  Kamran credited her mother with playing a pivotal role in her journey, saying she consistently encouraged her ambitions and never let her give up during difficult periods.  

“My passion for cinema began early through watching films and developing a curiosity about visual storytelling,” Kamran said, adding that her fascination with storytelling gradually evolved into filmmaking and eventually led her to directing as both a profession and creative pursuit.  

Reflecting on Pakistan’s future, Kamran said international recognition, such as the Forbes Under 30 Asia list, can help attract foreign investment and create new opportunities for emerging entrepreneurs and creatives.   

She stressed that greater support for young people through education, innovation programs, entrepreneurship opportunities, and increased participation in decision-making processes will sustain this momentum. 

Mohsin Durrani, an Islamabad-based analyst who runs an AI-driven firm, told The Media Line that for Pakistan to realistically establish itself as a regional digital hub, such achievements as the Forbes Asia list should be seen as “foundational rather than the ultimate objective.”  

Durrani noted that significant challenges, including regulatory instability and a lack of early-stage venture capital, often force startups to seek opportunities abroad. However, he added that international recognition still validates local innovation and signals to global investors that Pakistan continues to produce globally relevant startups despite domestic constraints.  

He further said that the 2026 Forbes Asia list reflects a potentially lasting shift, emphasizing that Pakistan’s greatest strength lies in its native youth population, which is increasingly engaged on global platforms rather than waiting for systemic change at home.  

Amina Qureshi, an economist based in Islamabad and Former Assistant Chief Policy at the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics PIDE, told The Media Line: “The Forbes recognition highlights Pakistan’s growing presence in global innovation, reflecting its creativity, entrepreneurial energy, scientific talent, digital capability, and cultural influence”. 

Qureshi said the sector would benefit from startup-friendly tax policies, streamlined business registration, improved access to funding, regulatory sandboxes for AI and fintech, stronger digital infrastructure, better intellectual property protections, greater support for women entrepreneurs, expanded commercialization of research, and more international opportunities for young professionals.  

Pakistani talent has strong potential to drive an innovation-led economy. However, she added, this requires a supportive policy framework with stable regulation, improved access to finance, strong digital infrastructure, and better university–industry collaboration.  

With 26% of its population aged 15–29, Qureshi noted that Pakistan has a large, digitally connected youth cohort.   

She said this generational shift can only be sustained through policies and institutions that enable young talent to scale, compete, and lead globally.  

Caption: Pakistanis listed in 2026 Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 (left to right): Maheera Ghani, Syed Ismail, Sarfraz Shahid Hussain, Muhammad Furqan Karim Kidwai, Saman Kamran, Hania Aamir, Fahad Shahbaz. (Instagram)