Five years ago, the media spoke with the founders of an Israeli-German company in Tashkent that offers business SMS notification services.

- Mr. Insarov, as we have learned, Intis Telecom Asia began servicing its first client in Uzbekistan a year ago. Congratulations on your initial success in the telecommunications market of Uzbekistan. Could you please share some insights about your experience in Uzbekistan based on your now 5-year journey?

Thank you, servicing our first client, the reputable and traditional Orient Finans Bank, is undoubtedly a significant achievement. I want to emphasize that each region has its own specifics, and Uzbekistan is no exception. While we can now talk about clients, we first had to establish a legal framework for conducting business, go through the necessary licensing process, join 6 mobile operators, and build a team in Tashkent, after which we could adapt our service to meet the specific needs of our client. If I can summarize this in one sentence now, behind this success lies a vast amount of preparatory work that took 4.5 years. Of course, we aimed to launch our service in Uzbekistan much earlier; however, I must remind you that our preparatory process coincided with the pandemic, which unfortunately affected the overall timelines. Nevertheless, we managed to navigate this journey—from my first trip to Uzbekistan in August 2019 to the beginning of service provision in early 2024.

- What advice would you give to foreign investors planning to enter the Uzbek market?

In recent years, the government of the Republic of Uzbekistan has implemented significant reforms aimed at enhancing economic growth and improving the business environment. These reforms include the liberalization of the currency market, tax reform, and the simplification of business procedures. In addition, the government provides comprehensive support to IT companies. However, one must be patient and ready to embrace the market's unique characteristics in Uzbekistan. Therefore, it is crucial to "win" the hearts of the people, and then the results will not disappoint you. I recommend working with Uzbekistan only to those who think strategically and are committed to long-term cooperation. If someone is looking for immediate gains—this is not your region. Be open, respect the people, their traditions, and way of life, and then the Eastern fairy tale can bring joy to you as well.

- Abduazim Abdusamatovich, according to media reports from 2019 and 2020, among the founders of the company was also the German LLC AF Sports Reactive, which collaborated with PFC "Lokomotiv Tashkent," but now only two shareholders remain. What is the reason for this?

Unfortunately, the author’s project AF Sports Reactive was closed. In 2021, the founders of AF Sports Reactive decided to shut down the project as the project author received an offer from another UEFA zone football club. A little later, the German LLC AF Sports Reactive sold its share within our firm, which is why we now have only two shareholders—a citizen of Israel residing in London and a small German enterprise from Hamburg.

- According to one of the past articles, your firm planned to allocate part of the profits earned in Uzbekistan for sports needs?

At the start of our project, it was anticipated that Intis Telecom Asia would leverage the "soft power" of sports and would provide support to the sports sector. It is important to note that the launch of our service occurred significantly later than planned, and we hope to achieve self-sufficiency very soon. We would very much like to become a small enterprise with social responsibility in the field of sports, but for that, we must first have the financial capacity and only then decide on sponsorship in one form or another.

- What goals has the management from London and Hamburg set for you for 2025?

Over the past year, we have been providing services to clients in Uzbekistan's banking sector, but we have not yet achieved self-sufficiency. The central goal remains to reach full self-sufficiency, as even today the company cannot exist without financial injections from the shareholders.

- Ms. Shukhort, could you tell us about the role of Media Wallet in the Uzbek firm and why you decided to participate in this project?

Media Wallet (from Hamburg) provides services in the field of social media and collaboration with the media. In the fall of 2019, upon the advice of the director of the "parent" company LAUREA GERMANIA, we decided to participate in an investment project in Uzbekistan and proposed Abduazim Abdusamatovich (Khaidarov) for the position of director in Tashkent. We had a unique opportunity at the start of our operations to invest all our revenue in Germany into the project in Uzbekistan as a kind of investment in the future. For us, as a small German enterprise, the first successfully completed investment project abroad is a significant achievement and invaluable experience for future projects.

- What advice would you give to German investors planning to enter the Uzbek market?

I completely agree with our partner Andrey (Insarov) from London. I advise working and investing in Uzbekistan only to those who think long-term.

This year, we plan to hold a small conference about Uzbekistan in our Hamburg office to celebrate the spring Uzbek holiday Navruz, and we hope that the Uzbek market will interest our guests from Northern Germany.

- Have you visited Uzbekistan yet?

I have a keen interest in Eastern culture and have learned quite a bit about Uzbekistan. Unfortunately, I have not yet been to Uzbekistan, but I hope that in the near future I can visit at least Tashkent and personally experience the unique culture of your country!

- Mr. Insarov, soon Uzbekistan will celebrate the spring holidays—this time for congratulations and well-wishes. What would you like to wish your partners in Uzbekistan?

— Success, new achievements, and happiness.

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