WEXNET Quetta 2026 Opens in Balochistan
The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan has launched the first edition of WEXNET Quetta 2026, a women entrepreneurs exhibition that brings women-led businesses from Balochistan and other parts of Pakistan onto one platform to meet buyers, build linkages and explore new markets.
The two-day event, WEXNET Quetta 2026, runs on October 31 and November 1 at the BUITEMS Expo Hall on the Takatu Campus in Quetta. It features 100 stalls across diverse product categories, and carries the theme “Celebrating Women. Connecting Businesses. Creating Opportunities.”
WEXNET Quetta 2026: who opened the exhibition
Dr Rubaba Buledi, Adviser on Women Development to the Government of Balochistan, formally inaugurated the exhibition. Senior members of the provincial assembly, government officials, representatives of public and private sector institutions, development partners and women entrepreneurs attended the ceremony.
The event is organised by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan in collaboration with the Balochistan Board of Investment and Trade, the Women Development Department, the Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Exim Bank, the Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company, BUITEMS and other development partners.
Through such initiatives, the authority says it continues to advance its mandate of trade promotion, enterprise development and market access, with a particular focus on creating opportunities for women entrepreneurs, strengthening small and medium enterprises and encouraging inclusive economic growth.
A first for Quetta after a 19-year gap
The Quetta edition matters because of the gap it closes. The expo was organised in Quetta after a gap of 19 years, according to the authority’s pre-event announcement, which said more than 100 women entrepreneurs from Balochistan and other parts of the country would take part.
That long gap helps explain the emphasis on linkages rather than display alone. The pre-event programme promised business-to-business networking sessions, seminars, e-commerce facilitation and business development activities, alongside the stalls. Sectors on show include textiles, agribusiness, handicrafts, e-commerce and general trade.
WEXNET itself is not new to Pakistan. Earlier editions have run in Peshawar, Sialkot and Sukkur, and the trade authority has said it received 160 applications within two weeks for the Quetta edition. The Quetta launch therefore extends a national format into a province where women-led businesses have had fewer such platforms.
Why market access matters for Balochistan’s women-led businesses
For many women entrepreneurs in Balochistan, the hardest step is not making a product but reaching a buyer beyond their own city. Handicrafts, food products and textiles made in Quetta and other districts often sell locally at low margins, while national and export buyers remain out of reach.
An exhibition with buyers, chambers and banks in the room shortens that distance. A stall can lead to a wholesale order, a listing with a retailer, or simply a contact that turns into repeat business. The business-to-business sessions and e-commerce facilitation matter just as much, since they help small firms handle orders, payments and delivery after the two days end.
The wider lesson is about participation. Women-led businesses are a large but undercounted part of Pakistan’s small enterprise sector, and events that give them a formal platform also give them visibility with banks, buyers and policymakers. Feature Pakistan has tracked that theme in its women entrepreneurship coverage, and the Quetta edition adds a Balochistan chapter to that story.
Frequently asked questions
What is WEXNET Quetta 2026?
It is the first edition of the Women Entrepreneurs Exhibition in Quetta, organised by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan. It runs on October 31 and November 1, 2026, at the BUITEMS Expo Hall on the Takatu Campus.
How many stalls does the exhibition feature?
The exhibition features 100 stalls across diverse product categories, showcasing women-led businesses from Balochistan and other parts of Pakistan.
Who inaugurated WEXNET Quetta 2026?
Dr Rubaba Buledi, Adviser on Women Development to the Government of Balochistan, formally inaugurated the exhibition, in the presence of provincial assembly members, officials and women entrepreneurs.
Why is the Quetta edition significant?
It is the first WEXNET edition in Quetta after a gap of 19 years, and it extends a national women entrepreneurs format into Balochistan, with networking, seminars and e-commerce support alongside the stalls.
