Pakistan Just Witnessed the Biggest Business Registration Explosion Ever

Islamabad, June 11, 2025 – The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has announced that 3,609 new companies were registered in May 2025. This is the highest number of registrations in a single month throughout SECP’s history, surpassing 3,442 registrations in January 2025.

The gradual increase reflects growing investor confidence and the success of SECP’s digital reforms for streamlining the business registration process. Approximately 99.9% of new company registrations in May were processed digitally. The capital raised by these new companies amounted to over Rs. 2.7 billion, bringing the total number of registered companies in the country to over 255,000.

The new registrations range from a diverse range of business structures and across various sectors. Private Limited Companies constituted the largest share, 59% of total registrations, while single-member companies represented 37%. The remaining 4% comprised public unlisted companies, not-for-profit organizations, guarantee-limited companies, and limited liability partnerships (LLPs).

The Information Technology (IT) and e-commerce sectors led the growth, registering an impressive 718 new companies. The trading sector followed with 506 new companies, while services recorded 447 new companies. The real estate development sector added 342 new companies, followed by tourism and transport with 237, food and beverages with 187, and education with 160. Other notable sectors contributing to this growth include:

• Mining and Quarrying: 89 companies
• Pharmaceutical: 78 companies
• Textile: 74 companies
• Marketing and Advertising: 72 companies
• Cosmetics and Toiletries: 67 companies
• Engineering: 62 companies
• Healthcare: 51 companies

Additionally, a collective total of 519 new companies were registered in sectors such as chemical, transport, corporate agricultural farming, fuel and energy, Section 42, auto and allied, power generation, and sports and allied.

In line with its broader objectives, the SECP also granted 56 licenses across multiple regulatory domains during May. These included three licenses in capital markets, one in the insurance sector, and three in non-banking financial services.

Furthermore, 49 licenses were granted to NGOs under Section 42 of the Companies Act, 2017, demonstrating the SECP’s commitment to facilitating the non-profit sector. The month also saw growth in foreign investment within Pakistan’s corporate sector, with 98 new companies receiving capital from international investors.