Client Name

Meezan Bank Limited

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Fawad Ahmed

SBS Thought Leadership Areas

Islamic Business and Finance

SBS Thought Leadership Area Justification

This ELP clearly falls under the Thought Leadership Area of Islamic Business and Finance. Rather than just studying Islamic banking as a theory, our project looks at how Shariah-compliant financial tools can be applied practically using technology and digital channels. We explored how Meezan Bank can use principles like Tawarruq, combined with fintech and anchor-based credit profiling, to provide scalable halal financing. The learnings from this project can also help other Islamic financial institutions trying to digitize their MSME offerings.

Aligned SDGs

GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

Aligned SDGs Justification

Our project is directly aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, as it focuses on building inclusive financial tools that support small businesses and promote entrepreneurship. When MSMEs have access to affordable, halal financing, they are more likely to grow, create jobs, and contribute to economic stability.

NDA

No

Abstract

This Experiential Learning Project (ELP) was carried out in collaboration with Meezan Bank to analyze and support the development of its MSME-focused digital financing product, Meezan Dukaandaar. The main objective of our project was to evaluate how this platform can contribute towards enhancing financial inclusion in Pakistan, especially through Islamic finance tools like Tawarruq. The project also aimed to explore how anchor-led financing, a relatively new model in Pakistan, could be practically applied to small businesses that struggle with liquidity and access to formal banking. Our approach mainly involved in-depth research, document analysis, and sector-specific feasibility assessment. We focused on how the Dukaandaar platform operates in an anchorled financing setup, and how Islamic structures can be integrated in a way that keeps things Shariah-compliant yet still practical for real-world business use. Along with reviewing Meezan Bank’s internal models and market insights, we also assessed gaps in current MSME financing and how digitization and Islamic models like Tawarruq can bridge those. Our findings showed that while most small retailers and suppliers remain unbanked, there’s high readiness for digital financial tools if the offering is simple, halal, and well-supported. The Meezan Dukaandaar platform, by connecting retailers and suppliers on one digital ecosystem, has the potential to become a major enabler of financial access. We also found that using anchor institutions to drive onboarding and risk reduction works really well— especially when paired with Tawarruq structures, which allow liquidity without interest. Based on our analysis, we recommended that Meezan Bank focus more on sector-specific onboarding strategies, user-friendly digital onboarding, and continued Shariah oversight to maintain credibility. The product can also benefit from stronger partnerships with fintech players and integration with POS data for better credit profiling. If scaled responsibly, Meezan Dukaandaar can become one of the bank’s flagship offerings that not only aligns with Pakistan’s National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS 2024–28), but also plays a real role in uplifting underserved MSMEs across the country.

Document Type

Restricted Access

Document Name for Citation

Experiential Learning Project

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