Embracing grassroots economy, promoting inclusive growth.
About Asia Grassroots Forum 2025
The 2025 Asia Grassroots Forum, hosted by Amartha, serves as a pivotal gathering for entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and innovators across the ASEAN region to tackle the most urgent challenges in emerging markets. From the barriers women-led MSMEs face in accessing formal funding to the complexities of advancing financial digitalization, the forum delves into critical issues that shape the region’s grassroots economy.
At the heart of this transformative forum is a vibrant exchange of ideas and expertise. Leaders from diverse sectors will address topics such as fostering inclusive growth, driving grassroots innovation, and ensuring that intelligent technology amplifies opportunities underserved communities. As the impact of technology hinges on existing human capacities, unleashing human potential remains critical in driving progress within region’s rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Through collaboration, dialogue, and a focus on emerging changemakers, the forum aims to unlock the potential of technological innovations in addressing the region’s most pressing issues: bridging financial access gaps, enhancing resilience to climate challenges, and promoting shared economic prosperity. With a thoughtfully curated agenda, the Forum is designed to inspire bold ideas, foster impactful partnerships, and drive meaningful, scalable change for the ASEAN community and beyond.
About Amartha
Amartha is a technology company that drives inclusive growth by empowering grassroots and enabling everyone through one financial ecosystem, AmarthaFin.
Established in 2010, Amartha advances the bottom pyramid economy by increasing the competitiveness of micro and small entrepreneurs and also digitalizes daily financial activities in grassroots. In doing so, we build more inclusive economic growth.
Our Agendas
To reform or to deform: reshaping entrepreneurial policy and partnership to promote inclusive growth.
Balancing the transformative power of AI and technology to ensure they drive social inclusion, equity, and opportunities for all.
Reason to Participate
Highlights of the Asia Grassroots Forum 2024 event
Driving Inclusive Growth in ASEAN Grassroots Economy
The discussion highlighted the evolving landscape of grassroots entrepreneurship in ASEAN, explored ways to support inclusive innovation among SMEs and grassroots entrepreneurs, addressed challenges like the digital divide, and drew lessons from initiatives like Amartha to drive regional inclusive growth.
Driving Inclusive Growth in ASEAN Grassroots Economy
The discussion mapped out next-generation innovation in ASEAN, focusing on new technologies and business models. It highlighted robust institutional frameworks, domestic industry support, and international collaboration. Strategies for fostering local innovation culture and ensuring ethical technology use were explored to propel ASEAN towards socioeconomic progress and global innovation leadership.
Crafting an Attractive Investment Environment for Thriving MSMEs
Bringing together prominent global investors, experts, and industry leaders, the discussion delved into strategies for bolstering small businesses. It explored avenues for growth and resilience, focusing on facilitating access to capital, leveraging technology, and fostering a supportive regulatory environment to achieve sustainable economic development and inclusive growth across the region.
Enabling Small Businesses to Power a Prosperous, Resilient Economy
Bringing together prominent global investors, experts, and industry leaders, the discussion delved into strategies for bolstering small businesses. It explored avenues for growth and resilience, focusing on facilitating access to capital, leveraging technology, and fostering a supportive regulatory environment to achieve sustainable economic development and inclusive growth across the region.
Creating Value by Scaling Impact
The session explored the importance of impact investing in Asia, addressing social and environmental challenges while ensuring financial returns. It showcased case studies to inspire collaboration and accelerate sustainable development. How can investors measure impact and ensure financial sustainability? What policy interventions are needed to incentivize impactful ventures and achieve the SDGs in Asia?
Creating Value by Scaling Impact
The session explored the importance of impact investing in Asia, addressing social and environmental challenges while ensuring financial returns. It showcased case studies to inspire collaboration and accelerate sustainable development.
How can investors measure impact and ensure financial sustainability? What policy interventions are needed to incentivize impactful ventures and achieve the SDGs in Asia?
The High Value of Base of the Pyramid Markets
The discussion emphasized sustainable economic growth strategies, ensuring investments benefit poverty alleviation and job creation in underserved communities. Panelists explored innovative financing like impact investing and social entrepreneurship for the Base of the Pyramid sector, tackling its unique challenges.How Access to Financial Services Can Transform Women’s Lives
The session highlighted the importance of financial inclusion in empowering women, discussed overcoming barriers to financial services, and proposed initiatives to foster women’s entrepreneurship. It also addressed necessary policy interventions to promote women’s participation in decision-making, entrepreneurship, and leadership, driving long-term economic progress.Entrepreneurship Drives Economic Transformation in Emerging Markets
The session highlighted the impact of grassroots entrepreneurship, using insights from Amartha. It explored how entrepreneurship drives inclusive development, fosters innovation, preserves cultural heritage, alleviates poverty, and discussed strategies for scaling and sustaining grassroots businesses.
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How Access to Financial Services Can Transform Women’s Lives
The session highlighted the importance of financial inclusion in empowering women, discussed overcoming barriers to financial services, and proposed initiatives to foster women’s entrepreneurship. It also addressed necessary policy interventions to promote women’s participation in decision-making, entrepreneurship, and leadership, driving long-term economic progress.
Entrepreneurship Drives Economic Transformation in Emerging Markets
The session highlighted the impact of grassroots entrepreneurship, using insights from Amartha. It explored how entrepreneurship drives inclusive development, fosters innovation, preserves cultural heritage, alleviates poverty, and discussed strategies for scaling and sustaining grassroots businesses.
The High Value of Base of the Pyramid Markets
The discussion emphasized sustainable economic growth strategies, ensuring investments benefit poverty alleviation and job creation in underserved communities. Panelists explored innovative financing like impact investing and social entrepreneurship for the Base of the Pyramid sector, tackling its unique challenges.
Round Table 1
How Can Southeast Asia Harness Digital Technology and Seize Its MSME Opportunities?The discussion mapped out next-generation innovation in ASEAN, focusing on new technologies and business models. It highlighted robust institutional frameworks, domestic industry support, and international collaboration. Strategies for fostering local innovation culture and ensuring ethical technology use were explored to propel ASEAN towards socioeconomic progress and global innovation leadership.
Round Table 2
ASEAN is on the Cusp of Fulfilling Its Long-Held Promise?
ASEAN’s economic growth, especially with initiatives like RCEP, boosts its global influence. But, sustaining growth amid uncertainties is challenging. As ASEAN evolves, balancing mediation and managing regional tensions offers both leadership opportunities and diplomatic challenges.
Round Table 3
How Digitization is Making ASEAN an Engine of Growth?
The discussion explored leveraging digital technologies for inclusive economic development in ASEAN, addressing challenges like the digital divide and cybersecurity threats. Collaborative initiatives and policy frameworks are crucial for fostering innovation and entrepreneurship while ensuring equitable access and protection, particularly in underserved communities and rural areas.
Venue
Royal Glass House
Nestled within the soaring heights of Park Hyatt Jakarta, the Royal Glass House exudes elegance and grandeur, offering an unparalleled setting for a remarkable forum.
For an experience beyond compare, ascend to The Observatory on the 36th floor, the crowning glory of the Royal Glass House. Here, surrounded by sweeping panoramic vistas that encompass the iconic Monumen Nasional (Monas) or National Monument and the sprawling Jakarta skyline, you’re invited to immerse yourself in moments of sheer inspiration.
Info Center
What is the significance of The 2024 Asia Grassroots Forum, Hosted by Amartha theme, “Embracing Grassroots Economy, Promoting Inclusive Growth”?
The 2024 Forum organized to harness the transformative power of grassroots empowerment initiatives. Recognizing the pivotal role of inclusive efforts in addressing microfinance access for women-led MSMEs. The event serves as a global platform for collaboration and shared learnings. The discussion agendas include inclusive growth, digitizing MSMEs, and scaling impact. It brings together entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers and innovators to collectively pave the way for a more empowered and resilient global community. By amplifying diverse voices, fostering cross-cultural exchanges, and inspiring innovative solutions, the forum aims to unleash opportunities in the Southeast Asian grassroots economy through entrepreneurship, technology, and innovation.
What is The 2024 Asia Grassroots Forum, Hosted by Amartha format?
The 2024 Asia Grassroots Forum, Hosted by Amartha will be convened in person (offline), May 21-22, 2024 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Attendance is exclusive to invitation only for investors, entrepreneurs, policy makers, strategic partners’ guests, and media. Additionally, we will also be live streaming the event on Amartha’s YouTube channel on the day of the forum for those who cannot attend in person.
Will there be The 2024 Asia Grassroots Forum, Hosted by Amartha mobile application?
Yes. Attendees will be invited to download The 2024 Asia Grassroots Forum, Hosted by Amartha networking application to enhance their attendance and engage with their peers, check the agenda, floor plan, and learn more about The 2024 Asia Grassroots Forum, Hosted by Amartha. Only invitees who have been RSVP who will receive the download link and login passcode via email.
Will people be attending virtually?
Yes, the sessions will be live-streamed for those who are unable to attend in person. You will be able to join the live-stream link prior to the conference. Live-streaming will be held on Amartha’s Official Youtube account, and you may access here.
How can I stay connected after The 2024 Asia Grassroots Forum, Hosted by Amartha?
You can download your peers’s contacts via networking application to stay connected with your network or you can contact theforum@amartha.com
Can I transfer my pass access?
To make a name change, navigate to contact theforum@amartha.com. You have to share details of the new delegate, including their full name, company name and address, job title, phone number, and email and we will be able to assist you with the replacement. Name changes will no longer be possible from May 17, 2024. You can either get in touch with us or we can assist you directly at the register desk if the pass has not already been generated.
How can I submit my VISA?
Should you need further assistance to handle your VISA request, kindly contact theforum@amartha.com. We will be able to assist you with the VISA application.
Who do I contact if I need help with my registration or have any concerns?
Kindly contact theforum@amartha.com
It is my first time visiting Jakarta, Indonesia. Do you provide a city guidebook?
Yes, we do. If you already registered, you can download the city guide book that has been sent to your email. It encompasses essential information on transportation options, recommended hotels, curated selection of restaurants offering diverse cuisines, local gift shops, and city attractions. Allowing visitors to plan their itineraries efficiently. From historical landmarks to vibrant cultural hotspots, our guidebook offers valuable insights to enhance the visitor experience in Jakarta.
Do you provide facilities for special needs individuals?
We ensure inclusivity and accessibility at our conference as this lies in our values. One of the accommodations we offer is the provision of a Bahasa Isyarat Indonesia (Bisindo) sign language interpreter, facilitating comprehensive participation for special needs individuals.
Do you provide an English and Bahasa Indonesia translator for the event?
Yes, we do provide translation services at the event. Specifically, we offer a translator device that converts Bahasa Indonesia to English. Participants can obtain this device when they verify their attendance at the registration area. This service ensures that all our guests, regardless of language preference, can fully understand and engage in the event discussions.
What is a Field Trip/Jelajah Dampak?
The following day after the conference, there will be an organized field trip to observe and engage with MSMEs activities in the rural areas through an organized trip, with pre-booked reservations only. The 2,5-hours long trip from the Conference Venue to the selected villages for a maximum of 20 participants, facilitated by three minivans. The activities include observation, interactive workshops and engagement with Amartha’s customers, field officers and agents. The field trip starts/finishes at the Conference Venue.
How can I join the Field Trip?
Please be advised that the field trip is limited to only 20 participants. You can apply for registration for the field visit while you are RSVP for the conference here. If you are eligible to visit the village, you will receive a confirmation email from theforum@amartha.com and will receive a dedicated email from our team.
Thought Partners
Get In Touch With Us
We are delighted to walk this event journey with you! If there’s anything you’d like to know concerning the event, please do not hesitate to reach out. We’re more than happy to address your queries or hear your valuable insights.
Where
Park Hyatt Jakarta & Royal Glass House
Kebon Sirih Street, Number 17-19
Central Jakarta, 10270
When
Tuesday to Wednesday
May 21 to 22, 2024
theforum@amartha.com