The Karachi International Books and Technology Fair has officially opened its doors at the Karachi Expo Centre, bringing together authors, publishers, innovators, startup founders, educators, and technology enthusiasts under a single roof for a three-day celebration of learning, creativity, and innovation running from May 1 to 3, 2026. The three-day event brings together books and cutting-edge technology under one roof, with visitors turning out in significant numbers on the inaugural day, transforming the venue into a vibrant hub of educational and creative activity. The scale of public interest exceeded expectations, as the fair attracted a record-breaking crowd on its second day, with more than 200,000 visitors pouring into the Expo Centre in a vibrant celebration of learning and innovation.
One of the most attention-grabbing exhibits at the fair was “Haprow,” a locally fabricated artificial intelligence-enabled robot developed with the support of the National Incubation Centre in Karachi. The robot is designed to help children in learning and serves as a virtual friend for children with autism. A separate variant of the same robot functions as a disinfection unit, eliminating germs and pathogens using ultraviolet radiation. The dual-purpose nature of the Haprow design, one version built for inclusive education and the other for public health applications, illustrates the range of real-world problems that Pakistan’s emerging startup and incubation ecosystem is beginning to address through technology built domestically.
Robothon and STEM competitions were another hallmark of the fair, where students from different schools participated with creative ideas. Various new startups also showcased their digital products, offering fully online classes with effective learning feedback mechanisms. Fiction Genie and Storise, two homegrown companies dedicated to producing audiobooks of Pakistani publishers, were also present, saying they are working to provide a bigger platform for Pakistani authors and publishers in the context of digital learning. The fair featured over 250 book and technology stalls, an international pavilion with more than 25 global publishing houses, and dedicated zones for special education, alongside large-scale seminars for teachers and parents, artificial intelligence-focused sessions, book launches, live demonstrations, expert talks, and hands-on workshops.
Parallel sessions on learning and education brought together different experts to discuss the future of learning, teaching with artificial intelligence, the single national curriculum, the role of journalism in education, smart classrooms, and the future of book publishing. The final day of KIBTF is scheduled to host inspirational discussions on topics ranging from artificial intelligence in classrooms and ed-tech startups to learning strategies for autistic children. The breadth of programming across technology, publishing, inclusive education, and policy signals that the Karachi International Books and Technology Fair is positioning itself as one of the country’s most significant annual platforms for the convergence of knowledge, innovation, and public engagement.
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