I am a personal investor specializing in equities and diversified portfolios. In this diversification, I like to build a balanced portfolio where no client misses out on the rise of technology stocks -for example- but at the same time, they can keep a portion of their savings invested in more defensive options.I'm very fond of established technology companies and those focused on consumer staples and discretionary goods, always prioritizing company value over circumstances, which can sometimes be adverse. T ...

Financial Inclusion Challenges in Pakistan - 80% of Pakistan's 250 million people are financially excluded [3] - 11 trillion rupees are outside the formal sector [4] - Over 40% of agricultural produce is wasted due to lack of storage [4] - 266 billion children are out of school [5] - Microfinance reaches less than 1 million households despite 30 years of formal microfinance [8][9] Institutional Landscape and its Limitations - Pakistan has approximately 35 commercial banks and 12 microfinance banks, plus nearly 40 non-bank financial institutions [7] - Microfinance serves about 12 million microloans, but only around 4 million unique clients [7][8] - Larger microfinance institutions serve only two to three lakh (200,000-300,000) clients, significantly less than institutions in Bangladesh and India [9] Required Institutional "Killer Apps" - Capital: Need for a spectrum of capital, including tier one and tier two capital, for non-bank financial service providers [12][13] - Funding: Need for diverse funding sources beyond shareholder capital, including capital markets activity (retail TFCs, commercial papers, etc) [14][15] - Risk Predicates: Safety nets like collateral (gold), first loss guarantees, and party passive guarantees are needed to encourage lending to vulnerable populations [16][17] - Technology, Product Strategy, and Channel Strategy: Leveraging Pakistan's high teledensity (around 120 million unique SIMs) and the NADRA database for KYC/AML [20] Banking as a Service (BaaS) - Banks need to evolve from product providers to ecosystem enablers, offering "banking as a service" [21] - BaaS involves banks becoming platforms where fintechs and digital companies can access funding and scale [24] - This can enable instant access to financing for e-commerce merchants and women entrepreneurs [24]

Japan’s Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group’s consolidated subsidiary MUFG Bank has signed an investment agreement with India’s non-banking financial company (NBFC) Shriram Finance to subscribe to a preferential allotment of 20% equity shares in Shriram Finance. The total investment, valued at around Rs396.2bn (about $4.3bn), is subject to regulatory approval. The investment agreement was reached between MUFG Bank, Shriram Finance, and its major shareholders, Shriram Ownership Trust and Shriram Capital Priva ...

The world is connected through fractured, censored, controllable siloed data and monetary networks.They work at the highest levels, but billions fall through the cracks, underserved and kept apart through fragmentation.We deserve neutral global networks.Infrastructure that lets us store, access, send, and do whatever we want with our own data and money.We believe this will change the world once implemented at scale.This is what Dash is for. ...

Core Viewpoint - The article emphasizes the importance of building a balanced investment portfolio that includes both technology stocks and defensive options, highlighting the intrinsic value of companies as a key focus for investment decisions [1] Group 1: Investment Strategy - The company specializes in equities and diversified portfolios, aiming to ensure clients benefit from technology stock growth while maintaining investments in defensive options [1] - There is a strong preference for established technology companies and those in consumer staples and discretionary goods, prioritizing company value over market circumstances [1] Group 2: Experience and Expertise - The company has been an active investor for seven years, managing third-party portfolios and focusing on macroeconomic trends, stock valuation, and the interplay between politics and markets [1] - A Master's degree in Economics and experience as a consultant for public and private organizations contribute to the company's analytical capabilities, particularly in financial and economic aspects [1] Group 3: Challenges and Insights - The company acknowledges the difficulty of the investment principle "buying low and selling high," drawing parallels between the pressures of public tenders and market crises experienced in 2020 and 2022 [1] - The company also emphasizes the importance of promoting financial inclusion programs for women, recognizing it as a significant challenge and an area for further contribution [1]

Credit for images: Supplied photosWeFi’s co-founder and group CEO Maksym Sakharov has positioned himself at the centre of a financial shift that is starting to reshape how money moves, how value is stored, and who gets real control over their wealth. Leading the world’s first deobank, he sits at the intersection of traditional finance, blockchain, and global regulation, arguing that the next big leap in banking won’t come from sleeker apps or faster KYC, but from rebuilding the system on-chain. In this con ...

Dubai and Dhaka, December 11, 2025 - VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq: VEON), a global digital operator (“VEON”), today announces that Banglalink, its digital operator in Bangladesh, has received the permission of Bangladesh Bank to operate as a payment service provider - a milestone in the operator’s ambition to expand further into digital financial services. As a payment services provider, Banglalink will be able to offer regulated money transfer and payment services for customers, expanding access to formal financial ...

Core Insights - VEON Ltd. has been recognized at the World Communication Awards 2025 for its advancements in financial inclusion, resilient connectivity, and digital transformation [1][2] Group Achievements - JazzCash, VEON's digital financial services platform in Pakistan, won the Gold Award in the Beyond Connectivity category, highlighting its role in expanding financial access [2][4] - Kyivstar, VEON's operator in Ukraine, received the Silver Award for Satellite Telecommunications, showcasing its efforts to maintain connectivity in challenging circumstances [2][3] - Jazz, VEON's operator in Pakistan, earned a Silver Award for Best Digital Transformation Programme, reflecting its commitment to delivering AI-powered digital experiences [2][5] Strategic Focus - VEON's CEO emphasized the company's commitment to building digital services that promote access, resilience, and inclusion across its markets [3] - The recognition of JazzCash aligns with VEON's strategy to leverage digital services for economic empowerment and social impact, with JazzCash serving 20.6 million monthly active users and a merchant base of 750,000 [4][9] Technological Innovations - Kyivstar's recent milestone includes the launch of SMS messaging via Starlink Direct to Cell satellites, enhancing connectivity in areas with infrastructure disruptions [3] - Jazz's joint award with Huawei for Best Digital Transformation Programme underscores its evolution into a digital life partner, addressing diverse customer needs across various sectors [5] Industry Recognition - The World Communications Awards are organized by Total Telecoms and are recognized as prestigious accolades in the telecommunications industry, adjudicated by over 100 independent experts [6]

Launched in 2016, Airtel Payments Bank operates entirely as a profitable digital-first bank with no physical branches. Over the years, it has integrated deep tech into its internal processes to drive organic growth and build a secure, transparent, and scalable backend infrastructureThey have helped in achieving financial inclusion and last-mile access by leveraging an extensive, human-assisted distribution network of banking points to serve remotest corners of the countryPayments banks have evolved into a r ...

Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India will undergo a digital transformation in its operations soon, according to M Nagaraju, Secretary, Department of Financial Services. While responding to an observation that services of LIC still remained traditional questions after virtually delivering the 69 Foundation Day Lecture at the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), Hyderabad on Saturday, Nagaruju said: “LIC will become completely digital in next two months.”Stating that the digital transformation w ...