Research Area

Business, Industry & Markets

Research on Pakistan's industry, SMEs, investment, trade, competitiveness, consumer markets and financial services.

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Publications

Cover of ARS Research Report ARS-RR-2026-001: Assembly Without Industry: The Gap Between Policy and Production in Pakistan’s Electric Vehicle and Battery Sector
ARS Research Report

Assembly Without Industry: The Gap Between Policy and Production in Pakistan’s Electric Vehicle and Battery Sector

An ARS Research Report on whether Pakistan's policy framework, market, supply chain and mineral base support a Chinese investment in electric vehicle and battery manufacturing, as distinct from assembly. Of six governing instruments, three are notified and none of them governs battery manufacturing; the PAVE subsidy pilot delivered 13% of its target; Pakistan has no commercial cell production; and the investable opportunities today lie in pack assembly, battery management, testing, recycling, charging and battery-grade processing rather than cell manufacturing.

Reza Khan  |   |  ARS-RR-2026-001
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Cover of ARS Data Brief ARS-DB-2026-002: Pharmacoeconomics: Who Paid for Pakistan’s Medicine Deregulation?
ARS Data Brief

Pharmacoeconomics: Who Paid for Pakistan’s Medicine Deregulation?

An ARS Data Brief on who bore the cost of Pakistan's February 2024 decision to end price control on medicines outside the National Essential Medicines List. Medicine prices rose by about 32%, higher prices explained 69% of the growth in pharmacy sales, the gross margin of listed manufacturers rose from 26% of sales in 2023 to 41% in 2025, and patients, who pay more than half of all health spending directly, bore the cost.

Reza Khan  |   |  ARS-DB-2026-002
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Cover of ARS Insight ARS-IN-2026-002: Plug and Play, or Still Plugging In?
ARS Insight

Plug and Play, or Still Plugging In?

How far Pakistan's CPEC Special Economic Zones have actually come — their development, institutional framework, investment environment and strategic potential.

Reza Khan  |   |  ARS-IN-2026-002
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