Haqdarshak, a for-profit social enterprise working on the delivery of social protection at the last mile using tech and an agent-based network, has announced the launch of the Yojana Card. 

“ This is a first-of-a-kind physical card that will enable discovery and access for citizens via a QR code for government and private welfare services. The Yojana Card platform is built with capabilities for back-end integrations with financial institutions, government systems, and other private welfare service providers. The card onboarding process includes a first-time free screening for government welfare schemes” said a statement from Haqdarshak.  

With an assisted-tech model, the company is aiming to tap feature phone users along with smartphone users through a well-defined distribution strategy, which leverages its network of over 20,000 field agents, predominantly women, who earn an income for the service delivery.

The card will create a unique identification code for the user to help solve issues including unintended exclusion, grievance redressal, and documentation gaps while applying for schemes. The Yojana Card will primarily target low-income families, who earn less than ₹1,000 per day, especially workers in construction, factory, sanitation, gig economy , street vendors, and micro-businesses with a turnover of less than ₹10 lakh annually.

Aniket Doegar, CEO and Co-Founder of Haqdarshak, said, “The Yojana Card is a single channel for welfare-schemes eligibility and will eventually be linked to a bank. It will be a game-changing product in solving access problems for social protection. With this launch we aim to target the 500 million informal workers and micro businesses under an active social protection net. The launch is also a new phase of growth for Haqdarshak after six years of proving the concept and reaching over 20 lakh families across 24 States in the country,”

Talks with banks, FIs

The company is in talks with leading banks and financial institutions to launch customized and advanced versions of the card. Further, it will soon announce exciting partnerships with corporates for launching co-branded cards for critical stakeholders in their value chain.

Over the next two months, the card will be available at select Haqdarshak Yojana Kendras - the company’s brick and mortar setups for walk-in services for accessing welfare. The company’s cadre of women Haqdarshaks will also be leveraged for customer acquisition.

“The Yojana Card is a platform which encourages collaboration among multiple stakeholders - governments, banks, corporates and CSRs, fintechs, last-mile distribution networks - all of whom are focusing on serving the end beneficiaries but in their own different way” said Savita Muley, Chief Product Officer, Haqdarshak.

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