DigiKhata has announced a new collaboration with Sightsavers International, supported by the Standard Chartered Foundation, to expand access to digital lending for entrepreneurs with disabilities across Pakistan. The partnership is focused on making financial services more accessible to business owners with disabilities by providing interest-free digital loans through DigiKhata’s platform. The initiative will initially operate as a pilot programme involving 30 entrepreneurs with disabilities, giving selected participants access to financing designed to support their business needs.
Under the programme, DigiKhata will provide interest-free digital loans that can be used for working capital, business assets and administrative expenses. These financing options are intended to help participating entrepreneurs meet different operational requirements, whether they need funds to maintain day-to-day business activities, purchase assets or cover administrative costs. By offering the financing digitally, the programme aims to provide participating entrepreneurs with a more accessible way to apply for and manage their loans.
A key feature of the initiative is that the complete lending process will take place digitally through DigiKhata’s platform, Cashless. From the initial application and loan disbursement to repayment, the process is designed to be handled through the digital platform. This approach reduces the need for participants to depend on conventional, physical lending processes and places technology at the centre of the financing model. The use of a digital channel also reflects the broader shift toward technology-enabled financial services in Pakistan, particularly for customers and businesses that may face barriers when accessing traditional financial institutions.
The pilot programme will provide financing to 30 entrepreneurs with disabilities as an initial phase of the collaboration. While the programme is limited in scale at the pilot stage, it represents an effort to test an inclusive digital lending model specifically designed around the financial requirements of entrepreneurs with disabilities. The focus on working capital, business assets and administrative expenses also gives participants flexibility in how the financing can support their existing business operations.
The collaboration brings together DigiKhata, Sightsavers International and the Standard Chartered Foundation around a shared focus on financial inclusion. The partnership is based on the principle that financial services should be designed to accommodate different users from the beginning rather than being modified later to address accessibility gaps. This approach places inclusion within the design of the financial service itself, rather than treating it as an additional feature.
Digital lending can play an important role in expanding access to finance because application, processing, disbursement and repayment can be managed through technology. For entrepreneurs with disabilities, a digital model can potentially reduce some of the practical barriers associated with accessing conventional financial services. DigiKhata’s decision to conduct the lending process through Cashless therefore connects the partnership’s inclusion objective with a technology-based delivery system.
The involvement of Sightsavers International and the support of the Standard Chartered Foundation add an institutional partnership dimension to the initiative. Their participation reflects collaboration between a digital financial services platform and organisations working to advance inclusion. The programme also demonstrates how partnerships can be used to develop targeted financial products for groups that may not always be adequately served by conventional lending models.
The launch of the pilot comes as Pakistan’s financial sector continues to expand its use of digital platforms for delivering financial services to individuals and businesses. By specifically focusing on entrepreneurs with disabilities, the DigiKhata programme seeks to connect digital lending with a wider financial inclusion objective. The initial 30-person pilot will provide the foundation for implementing the interest-free financing model while keeping the lending journey digitally managed from application through repayment.
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