PakWheels.com: The Success Story of One of Pakistan's First E-commerce Giants
“If we had listened to the people who laughed at us, we wouldn’t be here today,” said Suneel Sarfaraz Munj, co-founder and chairman of PakWheels.com, Pakistan’s largest online marketplace for buying and selling cars.
Long before PakWheels became a household name—drawing over 25 million visitors annually, generating 250 million page views, and helping sell more than 400,000 vehicles each year—it began as a shared ambition between two LUMS graduates.
In the mid-2000s, Suneel, a lifelong car lover, teamed up with Muhammad Raza Saeed, who was passionate about technology and saw the untapped potential of the internet in Pakistan. Raza suggested that they should build something for the digital future, so Suneel brought up PakWheels.com. The two reached out to its original founder, who happened to be open to selling, and they acquired the platform. In its early years, PakWheels.com was primarily a discussion forum and classified website—an online platform that allows users to post and browse advertisements.
In a country where most consumers were still unfamiliar with online marketplaces, the idea of buying a car online seemed absurd. But the founders viewed the risk as a calculated one—firm in their belief that the digital world would inevitably reshape how Pakistanis bought and sold vehicles. They understood early on that businesses would need to evolve in step with changing consumer behaviour or risk being left behind.
“If you think like everyone else, you won’t be able to do anything different.”
In 2006–08, as platforms like Facebook began to dominate online conversations, PakWheels noticed a decline in activity on its discussion forums—which had served as the heart of its user community. Rather than letting that shift undermine the platform, the team adapted, transforming PakWheels from a niche forum into a full-fledged marketplace and automotive information hub.
Today, PakWheels offers a wide range of features that support every stage of the car ownership journey—expert car reviews, user-generated blogs, and real-time car show reports. Its bustling online community continues to thrive as well, but it is the tools that have truly distinguished the platform. One such innovation is a pricing calculator for used cars in Pakistan, developed in collaboration with academic researchers. By using real market data—such as mileage, condition, and year of manufacture—the tool helps buyers estimate fair value instantly, reducing guesswork and improving transparency.
In 2014, the company secured $3.5 million in investment—one of the largest early-stage tech fundings in Pakistan at the time. Yet, unlike many startups eager to scale globally, PakWheels has kept its focus local. With a population of over 240 million, a rapidly growing middle class, and only about 13 cars per 1,000 people, the founders see Pakistan as a market rich with untapped potential.
For them, the next phase of growth isn’t about geography—it’s about depth. They believe that by serving the domestic market better over the next years, they won’t need to expand elsewhere to make a meaningful impact.
From modest beginnings as an online forum for car enthusiasts, PakWheels has grown into Pakistan’s most trusted destination for automotive solutions. Its journey reflects not just entrepreneurial grit but also a deep understanding of how to evolve with changing times and user needs.
How has your car buying experience changed with the rise of online platforms? Let us know in the comments!
This article was developed with the assistance of AI tools.
