- Modern financial technology enhances access, efficiency, transparency, and expands Pakistan’s global digital economy engagement
- Realigns Pharmaceuticals develops FDA aligned formulations reducing chemical dependency and ensuring compliance
Interview with Muhammad Mujtaba, CEO Realigns Inc.
PAGE: Tell me something about yourself, please:
Muhammad Mujtaba: I am Founder & CEO of Realigns Inc., a multinational innovation group established in 2010, which later expanded its operations to Thailand and the United States between 2014 and subsequent years, with activities spanning pharmaceuticals, organic skincare, e-commerce, artificial intelligence infrastructure, and enterprise digital systems.
My work is driven by a core objective: to solve structural challenges in regulated, high-cost, and dependency-heavy industries through integrated, ethical, and privacy-first solutions. Through Realigns Inc., I serve markets across Asia, the Middle East, and North America.
My entrepreneurial journey began at an early age when I entered the healthcare sector at 16 through Traditional Chinese Medicine. Within a few years, I progressed into leadership roles and later served as Global Representative for Gano Excel Enterprises and Managing Director of GFI Marketing SDN. BHD. (Malaysia). These experiences laid the foundation for building Realigns Inc. as a diversified, problem-solving enterprise.
In Realigns Pharmaceuticals, I focus on addressing long-standing safety and compliance challenges in the global cosmetics and healthcare sectors by developing FDA-aligned, naturally derived formulations designed to reduce chemical dependency while maintaining efficacy, scalability, and regulatory integrity.
Through Realigns e-Store, I built an integrated ecosystem that helps entrepreneurs overcome common barriers such as manufacturing complexity, branding costs, fragmented vendor networks, and international logistics.
In Realigns AI and digital infrastructure, my objective is to reduce excessive third-party dependency, protect data sovereignty, and create cost-efficient AI ecosystems. I design privacy-focused AI systems Realigns AI v2o Beta and Realigns COIS, secure enterprise platforms, and offline-capable digital environments that allow organizations to retain full control over their data and decision systems.
Over the past 20+ years, I have held executive and board-level roles across Asia and the Middle East in highly regulated industries where compliance, accuracy, and operational integrity are critical.
I hold professional certifications in Global Business Strategy (Harvard Business School), Cloud Computing (Google), Artificial Intelligence (IBM), SDGs 2030 (UNITAR), and Global Health Policy (WHO/UNICEF).
PAGE: How would you comment on digital banking evolution in Pakistan?
Muhammad Mujtaba: Digital banking in Pakistan has experienced rapid growth over the past decade and has significantly improved financial inclusion and accessibility.
Based on data from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and its Annual Reports on Payment Systems, digital payments have experienced rapid, significant growth, with digital channels for retail transactions rising from approximately 78% in FY23 to 85% in FY24, and continuing to increase in FY25.
Today, digital platforms process the majority of payment transactions, amounting to billions of transactions worth trillions of rupees annually.
This growth has been driven by several key factors:
- Widespread adoption of mobile banking applications
- Expansion of branchless banking services
- Growth of digital wallets
- Implementation of instant payment infrastructure such as Raast
Pakistan’s instant payment system, Raast, launched between 2021 and 2022, enabled real-time and free peer-to-peer digital transfers, significantly transforming transaction speed, convenience, and accessibility. However, from an Entrepreneur’s Perspective despite this strong domestic progress, Pakistan’s digital banking transformation remains incomplete when compared with more mature ecosystems such as Thailand.
In Thailand:
- Bank accounts can be opened within a single day, including debit card issuance, mobile and internet banking activation, and complete user verification.
- Nationwide QR payments operate seamlessly
- Interbank transfers are instant and often free
- Payment gateways integrate easily with global commerce
In contrast, Pakistani entrepreneurs continue to face structural challenges when operating in the international digital economy.
PAGE: Could you dilate on digital banking products and benefits?
Muhammad Mujtaba: Digital banking today includes a wide range of services such as:
- Mobile banking applications
- Digital wallets and payment platforms
- Instant transfer systems
- Online lending and credit scoring platforms
- AI-powered financial services
- Open banking APIs
These products have significantly improved convenience, efficiency, and accessibility within financial systems.
Benefits of digital banking:
1- Financial inclusion
Digital banking has enabled millions of previously unbanked citizens to gain access to financial services, particularly through mobile wallets and branchless banking networks.
Pakistan now has over 700,000 branchless banking agents nationwide and more than 60 million digital wallet users, reflecting strong growth in financial inclusion and digital payment adoption.
2- Economic efficiency
Digital platforms reduce transaction costs, improve transparency, and accelerate business operations for both individuals and enterprises.
3- Growth of freelancing and digital economy
Pakistan’s large freelance workforce has benefited significantly from digital banking tools, enabling greater participation in the global digital economy.
4- Real challenges facing entrepreneurs & freelancers
Despite progress, several major barriers continue to limit global participation for Pakistani entrepreneurs.
Limited access to global payment gateways
Many international platforms, such as Stripe, do not fully operate in Pakistan, making it difficult for startups and SaaS businesses to accept global payments.
Wise (TransferWise) Restrictions
Pakistani users face limited multi-currency functionality and compliance restrictions, which create friction for international transactions and business operations.
The Trend of Foreign LLC Registrations
To bypass these limitations, many Pakistani entrepreneurs establish LLCs in foreign jurisdictions.
However, this is not a sustainable long-term solution due to:
- High setup and maintenance costs
- Ongoing tax obligations
- Mandatory registered agent and virtual office requirements
- Frequent compliance and verification checks
Financial institutions often apply stricter policies toward non-resident companies from developing countries, including Pakistan.
As a result:
- Accounts may face sudden reviews or restrictions
- Transaction limits may be imposed
- Large international contracts become difficult to process
This uncertainty discourages entrepreneurs from scaling to high-value global business opportunities.
5- Future outlook
For Pakistan to fully realize the benefits of digital banking transformation, the next phase should focus on:
- Integration with global payment systems
- Simplification of fintech regulations
- Support for cross-border digital transactions
- Strengthening digital identity infrastructure
- Adoption of AI-driven financial systems
Digital banking must evolve beyond domestic convenience to empower entrepreneurs to participate confidently in the global digital economy.