Spearheading the shift to digital finance

The private sector engagements unit is dedicated to developing Pakistan’s private sector ecosystem through strategic grant initiatives, with the core objective of expanding access to Digital Financial Services and promoting financial inclusion of the underserved.

Under the Private Sector Engagements, there are two workstreams, Innovation and Enablement that drives financial inclusion in Pakistan through experiments and strategic partnerships while Adoption and Continuous Improvement Workstream boosts user engagement by scaling startups and optimizing transitions.

Pilot to Scale

Karandaaz aims to develop solutions for financial inclusion of the unbanked and underbanked. It empowers these populations by supporting private DFS players to test and scale successful pilots, focusing on digital payments, digitization of payment value chains, new financial use-cases, and new account acquisition. Private sector DFS providers and innovators can apply for these grants.

  • Digital Payments
  • Digitization in Value Chains
  • Product White Spaces
  • New Accounts Acquisition
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Adoption

The Adoption & Continuous Improvement workstream is dedicated to driving the widespread adoption of DFS while continuously enhancing DFS offerings through well-designed, evidence-based initiatives. The workstream focuses on addressing key barriers to adoption by improving user experience, accessibility, and affordability, ultimately expanding the reach and impact of DFS solutions. As part of this effort, sector-specific interventions have been introduced to address the limitations of paper and cash-based systems, which often hinder the full potential of digital finance in various industries.
Additionally, the workstream fosters cross-sector collaboration among public and private sector stakeholders including government agencies, financial institutions, technology providers, and industry associations to promote collective action in advancing DFS adoption and driving market development.

Challenge Rounds

Supported by the FCDO and BMGF, challenge rounds aim to foster financial inclusion by spurring innovation in the financial sector. These rounds use a competitive mechanism to allocate financial support to innovative projects, addressing gaps in the financial services landscape. Through these rounds, Karandaaz supports SMEs, DFSPs, and startups, providing technical assistance, grants, and strategic support to scale successful ideas, optimise operations, and enhance user adoption and engagement.

  • DFA
  • FDC
  • E-commerce
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Value Chains

Karandaaz focuses on enhancing value chains by addressing limited accessibility of features and promoting digital transformation. In the agricultural value chain, it collaborates with farmers, agribusinesses, and cooperatives to develop Digital Financial Services (DFS) solutions that meet the financial needs of smallholder farmers, ensuring efficient and inclusive agricultural ecosystems. In the e-commerce value chain, Karandaaz aims to reduce the reliance on Cash on Delivery (COD) by fostering digital payment adoption through ecosystem assessments, incentives, and trust-building measures, driving sustainable growth and efficiency in Pakistan’s e-commerce sector.

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