Suparco to launch first EO-1 satellite

Morning! Welcome to your first Itla of 2025 💼. While our instincts were to share some some predictions for the year ahead, what we are NOT is basic. So, let’s look back at what people, 100 years ago, thought 2025 would look like:

1. ✅ The correct prediction: A professor predicted the invention of mobile phones by 2025, which he described as “a pocket-sized apparatus for communications to see and hear each other without being in the same room”. The professor really understood the assignment.

2. 〰️ Partially correct prediction: An Edinburgh newspaper said “The books of A.D. 2025 will probably be printed on nickel leaves, so light and thin that a single volume will contain 30,000 pages, and the pages will be more flexible and durable than paper.” Let’s assume he meant to say e-books.

3. ❌ The very wrong prediction: An American psychologist said that by 2025, due to demographic trends, it might be nearly impossible to find a good-looking woman. If only he could see the person - woman/man/non-binary - reading this right now..

In this week’s edition:

♻️ What exactly are green bonds?

🍊 Fruits of the labour (with no fruits for us)

☢ All about BMW iX3 SUV

🌌 Today’s destination: Space

- The Itla Squad 💼

Business

Global 🌎️

Green bonds: making sure the money that doesn’t grow on trees still helps save them

They say money doesn’t grow on trees - but with green bonds, it kind of does.

The world needs $2.4 trillion every year to fund sustainable projects, but defining green bonds - special investments for eco-friendly projects - is messy so the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a major green bond issuer, wants to clean it up.

The details:

• The IFC has been a leader in green finance, issuing nearly $14 billion in green bonds since 2010 across 207 projects in 21 different currencies.

• Currently, there are over 30 systems, or "taxonomies" for defining green bonds, making it harder for investors to know where and how to invest.

• Standardized definitions are essential to help investors quickly and confidently allocate funds to sustainable projects.

Way forward: The potential return of Donald Trump as U.S. president raises concerns about future support for green investments, as his policies might oppose environmental, social, and governance (ESG) efforts.

TLDR: The world needs $2.4 trillion annually for sustainable projects, but inconsistent definitions of green bonds make investing difficult. The IFC, a leader in green finance with $14 billion issued since 2010, advocates for global standards to simplify investments and boost funding for eco-friendly initiatives.

What else is new in news

✶Shares of alcohol companies, including Brown-Forman and Boston Beer, dropped last week after the U.S. Surgeon General called for cancer warnings on alcohol labels.

The advisory highlighted that even small amounts of alcohol can increase the risk of cancers like breast, mouth, and liver. It is uncertain when or if the warning will be implemented, as Congress will make the final decision.

Local 🇵🇰

Fruits of the labour but no fruits for us

Pakistan's citrus industry is getting a glow-up as the Punjab government is investing Rs1.5 billion to modernize Pakistan's citrus industry, the country’s top horticultural export. But we won't be the ones enjoying the fruits of their labor (literally) as it is aimed to boost exports.

The details:

• Disease-free citrus nurseries will be established, capable of producing one million plants annually while new citrus varieties will be imported to diversify the industry.

• High-density demonstration orchards with advanced irrigation systems will be developed and mobile soil and water testing units will be introduced.

• Large tracts of land will be leased to investors for modern, state-of-the-art orchards. A citrus quality leadership program will encourage farmers to grow export-grade fruit.

• A modern pesticide residue testing laboratory, in partnership with international organizations, will ensure compliance with global standards.

• An international market research study will explore export opportunities and industry trends. The PFVA delegation will work with the Punjab agriculture department to ensure the project's successful implementation.

Moving ahead: Pakistan's citrus industry is aiming to adopt modern farming methods, improving resilience to climate change with focus on international market competitiveness.

TLDR: Pakistan's citrus industry is set for a major upgrade with a Rs1.5 billion investment by the Punjab government, focused on boosting exports rather than local consumption. New disease-free nurseries, advanced orchards, and international market research are all part of the plan to modernize and diversify the industry.

News Flash

✶Your friends at Nestle, Unilever, and PIA have lost their rights to rant about their work to you as the World’s Happiest Workplaces 2025 list has named them among the happiest workplaces in Pakistan, according to WorkL, an employee experience platform. Other companies like Bank Alfalah, PSL, and HBL Bank also made the list.

Tech

Global 🌎️

Gaddi Lamborghini BMW

If Imran Khan had seen this new BMW, the ‘Amplifier’ song would’ve been even more fire.

BMW (a leading manufacturer of luxury vehicles and motorcycles) is introducing a new, super-smart dashboard system for its cars called the Panoramic iDrive, designed to make driving safer, easier, and more enjoyable.

The details:

• BMW’s new display system has three parts: a 3D display on the windshield (so drivers don’t have to look down) that shows directions and safety alerts for the driver, a wide screen across the dashboard with information like speed, battery status, and widgets for things like music and weather, and a touchscreen below for controlling entertainment and maps.

• An AI-powered voice assistant lets you control features by saying, “Hey BMW.” You can ask for directions, switch driving modes, or even customize the display.

• The steering wheel has smart buttons that light up only when they’re needed.

• Profiles are tied to BMW accounts, so settings transfer seamlessly between shared vehicles.

Way forward: BMW’s system is similar to Ford’s Lincoln Nautilus display but takes it further with better customization and smarter features. The first BMW car with this technology, the BMW iX3 SUV, will hit roads in late 2025. It will be available globally, with a U.S. release planned for mid-2026.

TLDR: BMW is launching its Panoramic iDrive dashboard, featuring three screens, an AI-powered voice assistant, and customizable settings. This new system makes driving safer and easier with smart features like a 3D windshield display and adaptive steering wheel buttons.

What else is new in news

✶Nvidia is launching a personal AI supercomputer called Project Digits in May. It’s a small, desk-sized computer that can handle powerful AI tasks, making it easier for developers, researchers, and students to work with AI. It costs $3,000 and can run AI models with up to 200 billion parameters.

Local 🇵🇰 

Today’s destination: Space

Today, SUPARCO must be feeling like a proud parent watching its child take its first steps, as it prepares to launch Pakistan's first homegrown EO-1 satellite into space.

Electro-Optical (EO-1) satellite - designed, developed, and built by Pakistan - aims to help Pakistan better manage natural resources and respond to natural disasters.

The details:

• The EO-1 satellite will be launched from China’s Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

• It will help Pakistan monitor resources, predict and manage natural disasters, and ensure food security.

• The satellite will assist with farming by checking crops, irrigation, and yields.

• It will help track city development, monitor the environment, and manage natural disasters like floods and earthquakes. EO-1 will also monitor resources like minerals, oil, and glaciers.

Zooming out: The launch of EO-1 is a part of Pakistan's broader plans to expand its space program, including future missions with China.

TLDR: Pakistan’s SUPARCO will launch its first homegrown EO-1 satellite on January 17 to improve natural resource management, disaster response, and food security. The satellite will monitor crops, urban development, and environmental changes like floods and earthquakes.

Tech tour of news

✶The Ministry of Commerce has proposed removing the limit on electric vehicle (EV) batteries for cars, vans, and SUVs, as well as eliminating the 25% sales tax on EVs worth over Rs4 million.

More interesting Itla (اطلاع) we consumed:

💡 We spent the past weekend at Thinkfest in Lahore, enjoying the lively atmosphere at AlHamra.

The day was packed with engaging sessions - ranging from Mohsin Hamid’s discussion on getting his book ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’ turned into a screenplay with Indian director Mira Nair, to an insightful debate among leading economists pondering how Pakistan can work on increasing exports (the debate ranged from ambitiously making Pakistan the next iPhone manufacturing hub to maybe just focusing on creating jobs for its people for now).

While each session left us inspired, our biggest takeaway was this: getting your a*s up in Lahore’s freezing January mornings to attend such fests is definitely worth it (even if you end up spending way too much $$$ on books at the book fair and questioning your budget later).