Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, September 17, 2025: PayNearby, India’s leading branchless banking and digital network, through its flagship initiative Digital Naari, hosted an event in Varanasi in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihoods Mission (UPSRLM) and the District Commissioner’s Office. The event focused on promoting women’s entrepreneurship and financial independence, underscoring the collective mission to build a resilient and self-reliant network of women entrepreneurs across rural Bharat.

The Digital Naari program is designed to create sustainable livelihood opportunities for women at the last mile by equipping them with digital tools, financial services, and entrepreneurial training. By integrating Vidyut Sakhis and BC Sakhis into the framework, the initiative is opening new avenues for women to earn steady incomes while delivering essential digital and financial services to their local communities.

In Uttar Pradesh alone, more than 10,000 women entrepreneurs have already been onboarded as Digital Naaris. Many of them, formerly engaged as Vidyut Sakhis and BC Sakhis, are now being upskilled to diversify their income streams. These women are actively providing essential services such as digital payments, banking support, healthcare and insurance access, e-commerce facilitation, and other locally relevant financial and digital solutions. By reducing barriers to access, Digital Naari is helping rural households manage their financial needs more efficiently while ensuring women gain confidence and independence.

Looking ahead, PayNearby aims to empower 1 lakh Digital Naaris across Uttar Pradesh and beyond over the next few years. This expanded network will serve as a strong force of community changemakers, enhancing household resilience, deepening digital adoption, and building sustainable pathways for women-led growth.

The Varanasi event witnessed participation from eminent dignitaries and stakeholders. Attendees included Shri S. Rajalingam, IAS – Commissioner, Varanasi Division; Shri Satyendra Kumar, IAS – District Magistrate, Varanasi; Shri Himanshu Nagpal, IAS – Chief Development Officer, Varanasi; Smt. Noopur Chaturvedi – CEO, Bharat Connect; Smt. Richa Bajpai – DGM, NABARD; Shri Pawan Kumar Singh, PDS – Deputy Commissioner, UPSRLM; Dr. Sarika Shrivastava – Director, Ashoka Institute of Technology & Management; Shri Anand Kumar Bajaj – Founder, MD & CEO, PayNearby; and Smt. Jayatri Dasgupta – CMO, PayNearby & Program Director, Digital Naari. Their presence underscored the significance of collaborative efforts in strengthening women’s entrepreneurship and advancing financial inclusion at the grassroots.

Speaking at the occasion, Anand Kumar Bajaj, Founder, MD & CEO, PayNearby said, “Digital Naari is our commitment to empowering rural women as catalysts of change. We provide them with the right tools, resources and knowledge and empower them to build stronger communities. Our collaboration with UPSRLM and the District Commissioner’s office in helping us accelerate this vision across Uttar Pradesh, encouraging more women to be a part of this social impact movement. We are witnessing a powerful shift in how women are driving digital and financial inclusion and aim to scale this movement to 1 lakh women across the states, ensuring that no woman is left behind in India’s digital growth story."

Adding to this Jayatri Dasgupta, CMO PayNearby & Program Director of Digital Naari said, “The program offers women the flexibility to work from home or a store, select from over 25 essential services based on local demand, and operate at their own pace. Each Digital Naari, or “banker didi,” operates from home or runs her own store offering financial and digital services. Every transaction they facilitate earns them a commission, creating a steady income stream. This entrepreneurial model not only ensures long-term financial independence for the women but also guarantees that essential services remain consistently available to their communities.”