The financing facility was formalized through a signing ceremony attended by MBK president director and founder Shafiq Dhanani, and Standard Chartered Indonesia CEO Donny Donosepoetro OBE. Also in attendance were MBK risk director Chrismanto Saragih and Ervin Alfian, Standard Chartered Indonesia’s head of financial institutions.

Standard Chartered Indonesia and MBK’s renewed partnership builds upon the success of a previous facility that was extended in 2022, further reinforcing Standard Chartered’s commitment to advancing financial inclusion across the country.

“At Standard Chartered, we believe that supporting and empowering women to lead economically independent lives is critical to fostering inclusive growth,” said Donny.

“By partnering with institutions like MBK, we are able to extend our reach and deepen our impact among underserved communities. Supporting MSMEs is not just a business decision for us, it is a fundamental part of our mission to promote inclusive and long-lasting growth. We believe that when we empower women-led businesses and micro-entrepreneurs, we help unlock the true potential of the Indonesian economy.”

MBK, a pioneering microfinance institution under the supervision of the Financial Services Authority (OJK), provides financial access for many low-income families by drawing inspiration from the Grameen Bank methodology, pioneered by Nobel laureate professor Muhammad Yunus and further developed by Grameen Bank in Bangladesh.

Under the methodology, MBK focuses exclusively on the bottom 25 percent of households, providing small-scale loans to self-employed women-typically ranging from Rp 3 million to 6 million, strictly for productive purposes only.

Unlike conventional financial institutions, MBK does not require collateral or formal guarantees that are typically required for the borrowers, instead leveraging peer accountability within self-selected groups, typically composed of five women, forming a part of a larger village center community of 20-25 women.

(left to right) Chrismanto Saragih, Risk Director of PT Mitra Bisnis Keluarga Ventura, Shafiq Dhanani, President Director and Founder of PT Mitra Bisnis Keluarga Ventura, Donny Donosepoetro OBE, CEO, Standard Chartered Indonesia, and Ervin Alfian, Head of Financial Institutions, Standard Chartered Indonesia

The program is delivered entirely by a 99 percent women workforce, reinforcing MBK’s mission to empower women at every level of its operations.

“When we first started, we had just five to 10 employees and a simple mission to serve low-income women who were often afraid to approach traditional banks and lacked basic financial literacy. The demand was inspiring and continues to fuel our commitment in serving the community. Today, we have grown to a team of 8,600 staff, 99 percent of whom are women, and we proudly serve 1.7 million underserved women across Indonesia,” explained Shafiq.

“This isn’t just about microfinance, it’s about building a movement for inclusion and empowerment. Our continuous partnership with Standard Chartered has been instrumental in fuelling this incredible journey,” he added.

In addition to financial inclusion through its banking solutions, Standard Chartered also invests in communities through targeted community building initiatives.

One of the key programs that exemplify this commitment include Women in Entrepreneurship, which is designed to support female entrepreneurs in growing their businesses. Recently, Standard Chartered Indonesia conducted a nationwide training attended by 3,000 women, with 50 selected for an intensive bootcamp to help scale their ventures.

In addition, the bank’s Goal program has positively impacted over 5,000 young girls in underserved communities by equipping them with leadership skills, financial literacy and the confidence needed to thrive in life.

Standard Chartered’s partnership with MBK also reflects its global commitment to lifting economic participation by enabling women and underserved communities to learn, earn and grow, an approach central to the bank’s Futuremakers initiative and its broader efforts to promote inclusive and sustainable development.

A key party in the partnership between Standard Chartered and MBK is the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The ADB Microfinance Program (MFP) works closely with microfinance institutions and partner financial institutions such as banks, helping to meet the financial needs of millions across underserved communities.