Nexa Robots, a Pakistani startup specialising in automation, is looking eastward for its future, with Chief Executive H.M. Hafeez outlining a strategy centred on forging tighter alliances with Chinese hardware makers and software creators to establish what he describes as Pakistan’s first authentic robotics sector. Hafeez articulated this strategy during the Beijing World Robot Conference 2026, positioning the company’s next phase of growth around deeper collaboration with Chinese manufacturing technology rather than continued reliance on simple product resale.
At present, Nexa functions primarily as an importer and reseller for Pudu Robotics, a Chinese robotics brand, giving the company its initial foothold within Pakistan’s nascent automation market. However, Hafeez aims to move the company beyond the role of a simple intermediary, with his stated objective centred on cultivating domestic expertise in artificial intelligence, software tailoring, and systems integration entirely within Pakistan rather than depending solely on imported technology and expertise.
Nexa’s operations began modestly, with Minhaj University Lahore integrating the company’s machines into its library and administrative reception back in autumn 2023. Visitors on campus today continue to observe these units welcoming guests, providing directions, and answering routine inquiries, demonstrating that the hardware can function reliably within actual Pakistani environments, even if the specific tasks performed remain relatively basic.
The biggest challenge Hafeez faces involves convincing Pakistani firms that automation investment makes financial sense given the country’s abundance of affordable labour, with many executives questioning whether robotics can handle chaotic everyday workflows or whether skilled technicians will be available for ongoing maintenance. A hospitality venue running machines around the clock might recover its investment within twenty four months, but typical enterprises deploying robots only occasionally face considerably longer payback periods, a dynamic that has historically limited automation adoption in markets with lower labour costs.
To address this barrier, Hafeez has advocated for a shift toward leasing arrangements and robotics as a service frameworks, allowing companies to rent equipment rather than purchase it outright, reducing the initial financial friction that has kept many Pakistani businesses hesitant to adopt automation. Executing this strategy still requires resources China continues to supply, including funding and specialised parts, with Nexa having already begun domesticating elements such as AI, software adaptation, and integration to keep jobs and technical know-how within Pakistan, even as the physical hardware continues shipping from Shenzhen. Domestic fabrication remains a future prospect contingent on demand scaling sufficiently to justify local production, with Hafeez’s broader strategy reflecting a growth path common among enterprises in developing economies, building value progressively by plugging into established supply chains rather than attempting to reinvent manufacturing capability from scratch.
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