Asia-Plus spoke with three professionals who have already moved to Tashkent and are building their careers there.
In recent years, Uzbekistan has become a magnet for IT specialists from across the region. Professionals from Tajikistan are moving there in large numbers — the market is growing, salaries are higher, and the opportunities for development are truly impressive.
Nozanin Zuhuruddinzoda, IT Project Manager in Payment Systems
Nozanin is an IT project manager. “To put it simply — my job is to make sure the banking products you use every day work. This includes payments in stores, online payments, subscriptions, Google Pay, Apple Pay, and much more. Behind all of this is the painstaking work of many teams, and I manage the processes to ensure everything launches on time, runs smoothly, and brings real value to customers,” Nozanin said
“My path in IT started as a Scrum Master at Alif Bank. Over three years, I went from intern to project lead, managing more than 10 projects and working with over 20 developers. At some point, I realized I was ready for something bigger — and I moved to Uzbekistan.
“Now I work at Ipoteka Bank OTP Group, which is part of the European banking group OTP. The bank is currently undergoing a major transformation, and it's a very exciting process. Before this, I worked at TBC Bank — the first digital bank in Uzbekistan, and that was also an important experience.
“In just one year, Uzbekistan has become my second home. It’s warm, cozy, and people are open. Especially in Tashkent — life is vibrant, there are lots of events, and services are great. The downside is the high cost of living. Housing, food, and services are more expensive than in Dushanbe. But the IT sector offers salaries that compensate for this.”
Aziza Qosimova, Project Manager in the Fintech Industry
Aziza graduated from the Kazakh-British Technical University and began her career at an American consulting firm, where she worked with Microsoft, PayPal, and the City of Tacoma. She started as a business analyst — analyzing data, evaluating how decisions impacted profits, and making strategy recommendations.
Later, she joined the U.S.-based startup June Homes, a rental platform with dynamic pricing. Together with the data science team, she developed a model that considered more than 500 factors — from seasonality to features like balconies.
However, Aziza wanted to apply her knowledge in her home region. She began consulting on large projects in Tajikistan and later received an offer from Uzum — Uzbekistan’s first unicorn company.
“I started as head of financial services and helped develop the financial ecosystem in three companies within the holding. After launching the Uzum debit card, I moved to Uzum Bank — now I’m the project manager for the card, working to make the user experience convenient and intuitive,” she says.
According to Aziza, life in Uzbekistan isn’t too different from Tajikistan — the mentality is similar. But the pace of life is faster, the economy is growing rapidly, and conditions for personal and professional growth are being created. One downside she notes is worsening environmental conditions, especially air quality in major cities.
Idris Sharifzoda, Head of QA
Idris is the head of the Quality Assurance (QA) department at an IT company. He is responsible for the strategy and processes that ensure stable, user-friendly, and reliable products.
“Many people think QA is just about finding bugs. But in reality, we analyze and improve all stages of development — from planning to release. Our task is to make sure business goals are properly implemented and errors don’t reach the users,” he explains.
Idris’s journey in IT began back in school at an internet café owned by his uncle. Later, he worked as a developer and then as a QA engineer for an American company remotely. Over time, he wanted more — not just to be an executor, but to be involved in building a product from scratch. That’s what brought him to Uzbekistan.
Life in Tashkent was surprising — especially the high level of service and the development of the digital environment. Here, one can focus on work and self-improvement. Of course, there are downsides: polluted air and high prices. But the pace and ambition of the local IT market are impressive. Many companies are opening offices here, the market is growing, and demand for specialists is high.
Conclusion
Each of the specialists has their own unique journey, but one thing unites them: they found in Uzbekistan a space for growth, opportunities for self-realization, and a community that values knowledge. The IT sector is rapidly developing in Uzbekistan — and with it, the demand for strong professionals is growing too.
