On 13 November, AFI’s South Asia Regional Financial Inclusion Initiative (SARFII) held its first ‘Learnovation Lounge’, an online series designed to showcase financial inclusion initiatives from the South Asia region.

The first event explored Pakistan’s experience in developing the Asaan Mobile Account scheme, which extends financial services to people without smartphones or access to mobile data. Launched under Pakistan’s National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS), the scheme allows anyone with a mobile SIM card to open accounts and make transactions through a basic phone, without the need for internet connectivity.

Umair Ahmad, Senior Joint Director at State Bank of Pakistan, Muhammad Salman Ali, Chief Executive Officer at Virtual Remittance Gateway (Pvt) Limited, and Amir Hameed, Head of Branchless Banking at HBL shared insight on Asaan’s development, oepration, and impact on financial inclusion.

The event is available to watch below.