Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) participated in the Zarkhez-e 2.0 Design Sprint held at HBL Sky Tower in Karachi on the invitation of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). The initiative brings together stakeholders from technology, finance and agriculture to explore ways of building a more connected and digitally enabled agricultural ecosystem. PITB’s participation places technology and digital transformation at the center of efforts to improve access to financial services and opportunities for Pakistan’s farming community.
The PITB agri-tech team, led by Director IT Operations Usman Waheed, contributed to technical discussions and the development of the digital framework for Zarkhez-e 2.0. The design sprint focused on developing practical and scalable digital solutions that can support farmers across multiple areas, including access to agricultural financing, quality farming inputs, modern technologies and broader market opportunities.
The opening session brought together stakeholders from the banking sector and the agricultural value chain to discuss the role of digital solutions in improving agricultural financing and strengthening connections across the farming ecosystem. SBP Deputy Governor Saleem Ullah also attended the session and acknowledged PITB’s contributions to the Zarkhez-e ecosystem, highlighting the importance of collaboration between financial institutions, technology organizations and agriculture-sector stakeholders.
Zarkhez-e 2.0 aims to bring together key players involved in developing a more digitally enabled agricultural ecosystem, with particular attention to agricultural credit, financial inclusion and AgriTech. The design sprint provides a collaborative platform for stakeholders to work on technology-led approaches that can address practical challenges faced by Pakistan’s farming community.
The initiative reflects a broader focus on bringing technology, finance and agriculture closer together to create scalable solutions for farmers. Through PITB’s technical participation and the involvement of banking and agricultural stakeholders, Zarkhez-e 2.0 is seeking to develop a digital framework that can improve access to agricultural finance, modern farming resources and market opportunities.
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