The Central Depository Company of Pakistan Limited (CDC) has rebranded its Centralized Gateway Portal (CGP) as Asaan Connect, a more intelligent and inclusive platform for onboarding investors across the stock market, mutual funds, insurance, and takaful, as part of its mission to facilitate investor access to capital market services. The rebranding showcases a modernized logo, a user-friendly layout, and a smooth online experience influenced by a wealth of stakeholder input.
The goal of the cutting-edge digital platform Asaan Connect is to completely transform how investors interact with the Pakistan Capital Market. The investor onboarding process is made easier and more effective with Asaan Connect, which places a premium on speed, security, and simplicity. It eliminates the need for copious documentation and in-person meetings by allowing investors to finish their KYC procedure only once.
Months of user feedback, stakeholder participation, and market research led to the creation of Asaan Connect. In order to empower investors with a single, cohesive onboarding experience across all capital market sectors, it reflects a larger strategy based on client centricity, accessibility, and digital simplicity. Additionally, it is a calculated move in the direction of a more approachable, intuitive brand that appeals to today’s tech-savvy investors.
Asaan Connect demonstrates the CDC’s dedication to modernization and its function in facilitating easier and more equitable access to the capital market. This platform’s main goal is to give investors a quick and easy way to finish the onboarding process, which is an essential prerequisite before they can start investing.
Centralizing KYC
The KYC onboarding procedure is at the center of this digitization. A legal mandate known as “Know Your Customer” (KYC) requires confirming a person’s identification prior to granting them access to financial services. By providing their CNIC and supporting documentation, investors can complete their KYC online using Asaan Connect, allowing for quick and safe account establishment without the need for manual form submissions or in-person meetings. This guarantees adherence, builds confidence, and permits a smooth investor journey beginning.
One Portal — Numerous Opportunities
Asaan Connect prioritizes accessibility and choice by providing investors with a single, cohesive platform to finish their onboarding process and gain access to several licensed institutions without the need for duplicating KYC or switching platforms. Investors are able to:
- For a smooth digital onboarding process, choose from more than 150 brokerage houses (TREC Holders).
- Get access to more than 200 mutual funds from 18 top asset management firms.
- Use a single window to begin onboarding with 19 insurance carriers.
With standardized documentation, quicker turnaround, and the option to provide electronic consent straight through the portal, enjoy a simplified procedure. In due time, more middlemen will be introduced.
Digital Connectivity & Robust Compliance
Asaan Connect reduces obstacles to access and eliminates delays by enabling secure, end-to-end digital onboarding in a matter of minutes.
CDC treats client data and documents sent through Asaan Connect with the same degree of security as the assets it protects in its capacity as custodian. To expedite the process, all data is gathered digitally, and documents are submitted in soft form.
To provide real-time identity verification and KYC, the platform is connected with important verification tools like SBP’s RAAST system, the Pakistan Mobile Database, and NADRA. Through secure connections, information is transferred electronically between the CDC and intermediaries without the need for human participation.
Prioritizing Customers
Asaan Connect has added a function that allows linked intermediaries to upload standard papers needed for onboarding, like Commission Structure, Risk Disclosure, Standardized Terms & Conditions, etc., to the portal, speeding up the onboarding process.
Asaan Connect will be a one-stop platform to fulfill all onboarding criteria since the customer will be able to read and accept these documents on the site.
Additionally, Asaan Connect is even more client-centric since when a consumer updates their profile, all of the chosen intermediaries are updated at the same time. For the convenience of users, tutorial videos have also been created, and the site includes useful manuals and tool advice.
Why This Is Important, Particularly Right Now
Less than 1% of Pakistanis are active capital market investors, indicating that the country’s investment base is still underdeveloped. For young, digital-first investors looking for simplicity, quickness, and legitimacy, platforms like Asaan Connect decrease the entrance hurdle.
Now is the moment to provide the market with infrastructure that delivers on access, scalability, and trust, as the stock market hits new highs, mutual fund AUMs continue to expand gradually, and InsurTech gains traction.
