Posted by Mumbai: Indian fintech startup PayNearby has rolled out plans to leverage its retail network to help citizens enrol on the COVID-19 vaccination. The fintech has introduced a CoWIN registration module within its trade PayNearby app. This will enable PayNearby Digital Pradhans (business correspondents/retail merchants) to seamlessly assist local communities to register for the vaccination process.
A single click, easy access to CoWIN app from within the PayNearby app at all retail stores in the country will help to solve citizen’s language and tech barriers and push vaccination drive. The module will include content that drives home the message around the importance of immunization to eradicate coronavirus and will help create large scale community awareness for the program.
With this initiative, PayNearby aims to register 10 crore citizens, especially across semi-urban and rural India. PayNearby has over 15 lakh retail touchpoints covering more than 17,500 PIN codes across India. The fintech startup will leverage its wider retail distribution networks and touchpoints to create community awareness around the vaccination drive. This step is in sync with the government’s efforts to immunize the country at an accelerated pace.
Besides serving the people with essential financial services during the pandemic, PayNearby Digital Pradhans will double up their efforts to create vaccination awareness in their local communities. And also handhold them through the registration process. The effort will be to streamline the entire journey, and pre-booked appointment slots also reduce chaos and crowding at the vaccination centres.
Assisted registrations and pre-scheduling of appointments at retail stores will prevent flocking at immunization centres and help people observe adequate social distancing norms which is critical at this juncture to put a check on the virus spreading any further
“As India fights the worst-ever pandemic wave, PayNearby is committed to doing our humble bit to ensure every citizen in the country is vaccinated at the earliest. Flattening the COVID-19 curve eventually rests on judicious vaccination deployment and we are dedicated to accelerating this process through our Digital Pradhan network,” said Anand Kumar Bajaj, Founder -, MD and CEO, PayNearby.