Arif Lakhani

co-founder of Qist Bazaar and film producer

Compiled from 2 recorded interviews. Every statement below is drawn from the passage cited beside it.

Arif Lakhani is a co-founder of Qist Bazaar, a buy now, pay later business active in Pakistan, and a producer of films and dramas. He has said that Qist Bazaar has 76 branches and has given about 120,000 loans worth around 8 billion rupees. Lakhani has also said that since 2017 he has co-produced two movies and a drama, and produced one drama alone.

Early life and background

Lakhani's father worked at Habib Bank and was transferred to Singapore. Lakhani has said that he bought shoes in Pakistan during visits and sold them to drivers. He has also said that his father used to work at a bank he is very fond of. [2]

Education

Lakhani has said he attended school in Karachi and completed his high school in Singapore. He has said that his last degree was his high school. He has said he is not a graduate and never finished his degree. [2]

Lakhani has said he went online to the University of Phoenix but did not stay interested. He has said people should finish a degree wherever they can, because networks matter. [2]

Career

While in Singapore, Lakhani did a two-month internship at Habib Bank and realised it was not his kind of work. He has said the plan was to sell computers on installments in 1995. He has said the company was founded to sell goods on installments and later became a distributor for IBM and Acer in Pakistan. [2]

Lakhani has said his company supplied 4,000 computers to Habib Bank and 3,000 to UBL. He has said his company was the largest company in Pakistan by 2003. He has also said his principal company does well on exports. [2]

Lakhani has said he previously ran Airbnb properties in Atlanta, Chicago and Toronto, and that he was previously a stock exchange investor. He has said he became an Endeavor entrepreneur. He has called Endeavor the best experience that anyone can have. He has also said he was part of a delegation to the second business forum between Pakistan and China. [1]

Film and television production

According to Lakhani, someone who wanted to make a movie fund came to him in 2017. He then went in as a producer. He has said he co-produced two movies together with Hareem Farooq and one other person. [2]

Lakhani has said the first movie cost about four crore rupees and took twelve crore at the box office. He has said McDonald's gave 5 million for one of his movies. He has said his movie was the first outside movie to go into Saudi Arabia, in 2017-18. He has also said he has had many conversations with Netflix, which is easier to reach from outside Pakistan. [2]

On the economics of production, Lakhani has said that a drama is often sold before it is made and that he estimates a drama returns about 25% a year. He has said the return on a movie is completely unpredictable. He has also said the producers of the best Pakistani movies have never seen the set. [2]

Qist Bazaar

Lakhani has said he runs Qist Bazaar and that he is a founder, a co-founder and a CEO. The company describes its product as buy now pay later for the unbanked. Lakhani has said the startup was formally started in November 2021 and has done better than the team expected. He has said the startup is not loss-making, and that Qist Bazaar has been EBITDA positive from day one. He has also said the startup was meant to have a social motive as well as a commercial one. [1][2]

Lakhani has said the company started in Karachi, its home market, and expanded from Karachi to Hyderabad, then Sukkur, then Khairpur. He has said Sukkur is one of the company's best places and that Karachi still has the most branches. He has said about 550 people work full time at Qist Bazaar. [1]

Lakhani has said the company looks at the density of a place and the number of unregulated players there. He has said it would be easy for the company to open in 100 cities, but that the company does not want to grow so thin that it can no longer do what it is already doing. He has said tier-two cities are growing faster than new branches in tier-one cities, and that he hopes the company will reach 2,000 people in 200 branches and about 15 cities. He has also said the company now wants to serve expatriate Pakistanis who send money home. [1]

Lakhani has said that about 28 to 30% of the company's customers are women. He has said many people became delivery riders because the company financed their bike and phone, and that the company provided 15,000 used laptops to people working on Upwork and Fiverr. He has said mobile phones made up 65% of orders at one point and that refurbished laptops are now the company's second highest selling product. He has said the company has 1,400 different SKUs. He has also said about 97% of Karachi customers had no payment problems, against about 70% in Lahore. [1][2]

Lending model

The company says customers apply online with their name, address and ID card number. It says it serves anyone, including students and drivers, and that its average customer earns between Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 50,000 a month. It says it does not verify the salary a customer states. The company says customers pay an advance when the goods are delivered, and that about 90% of its customers pay digitally. [2]

The company asks customers to name two nearby people as social guarantors. Lakhani has said about 75% of customers are new and need social guarantors who live near them. He has said the company designed its own credit engine, and that its system accumulates points and tells an applicant whether two guarantors are needed or the company does not serve their area. He has said a repeat customer gets a second product only after six good instalments on the first, and that the human touch after the system check is the cornerstone of what the company does. [1][2]

The company says it does not contact customers who are 10 or 12 days late. It says it collects overdue payments by calls, not by hounding. It says a representative visits a defaulting customer, then asks the guarantor to pay, and that its past records show 99.9% of cases are solved at the guarantor stage. It says it would not use automatic salary deduction. [2]

The company says it sells only at an installment price, with no separate cash price. It says no late charges should be added to the price, and that a Rs. 70,000 price stays Rs. 70,000 and does not rise with late payments. The company says the price difference for installment buyers is about 12% and that its 12% figure works out to an IRR of nearly 24%. Lakhani has said the company's installment prices are 10 to 15% above what a brand store charges in retail, and that the upcharge on a six-month plan is about 10%. He has said a 30,000 rupee phone would cost about 34,500 rupees on a 12-month plan and that the price shown on the website is the total price the customer pays. [1][2]

Lakhani has said the company does not advertise 0% financing, and that it charges no late fees, rejection fees or early-payment fees. He has also said the company charges no processing or delivery fee, and takes no extra charges because Islam does not allow them. [1]

Lakhani has said the company inspects each product and requires it to be in the buyer's possession. He has said that a Qist Bazaar employee who takes a tip would no longer work for the company if it found out, and that Qist Bazaar does not allow products to be given as jahez. He has said the same percentages and the same income apply to every product. He has said the company gets at least 100 calls a day from banks asking about customers, and that investors see the company's figures but not customers' names or NIC numbers. [1]

Funding and ownership

Lakhani has said Bank Alfalah was the first investor on the company's cap table. He has said the 2024 Series A was led by Indus Valley Capital, with Gobi Partners joining the round, and that the B round started in 2025 with Indus Valley leading it. He has said the first two funding rounds came to about $3.7 million in total. He has said the founder of Indus Valley Capital sits on the company's board, the founder of Gobi is on the cap table, and one of the company's board members was formerly the chief technology officer of another company. [1]

Lakhani has said founders still hold more than two-thirds of the equity and employees hold a 10% ESOP in the company. He has said the company plans to cash out 25% of the ESOP when the Series B closes. He has said both debt and equity investment go into the company's book, and that he expects the company to rely more on debt than equity over time. He has said that having a bank on the cap table means the company must maintain its NPL ratios, and that the company's non-performing loan figure is less than 5%. He has said fewer than half of the non-performing loans come from defaulters, and the rest are just behind. [1]

Lakhani has said he expects the company to be listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange within 24 months. He has said the company does not plan to leave Pakistan or to list on foreign stock exchanges. He has said that if the company lists, it would first offer shares to its customers, because it is a B2C business. [1]

Regulation and Sharia compliance

Lakhani has said the company is regulated by an agency that inspects it often, and that it is a non-banking financial institution, so it cannot take deposits. He has said the company holds a full licence that allows a variety of activities, including nano loans, and that it could not accept payments on its website because its licence did not cover it. He has said the company cannot host its servers on Amazon or Google because they are not in Pakistan. [1]

Lakhani has said the company is certified as Pakistan's only Sharia-compliant company and is inspected twice a year. He has said the company uses ijarah for bikes. The company says it is Sharia compliant and has consulted Muftis for a certificate, and that it spoke to two Muftis linked to Meezan Bank, Habib Bank and UBL. [1][2]

Views

Lakhani has said he does not think the company is increasing consumerism, and that it offers a better halal option for buying the same goods. He has said consumption is an inherent part of growth for any person. He has said cash always loses value over time, and that value should be standardised, so that the amount taken equals the amount given. He has said the company wants to stay with each customer through every stage of their life, and that the real business will happen about 20 years from now. [1][2]

Lakhani has said many of the new algorithm-based BNPL companies that entered the market failed. He has said only about 12% of Pakistanis receive a salary slip. He has said Pakistani companies are not allowed to hold a US dollar account in Pakistan, and that most startup investment is parked abroad, in places such as Singapore, Bahrain, Dubai and the Cayman Islands, rather than coming to Pakistan. [1][2]

Lakhani has said Pakistan has about 300 million people and that the next few years may be the best years for Pakistan. He has said Pakistan has a new emerging middle class that many people do not yet recognise. He has said gaming and exports are likely to be among the best sectors in coming times, and that some work has to be done on population control, which he thinks is the key. He has said he is not political. He has advised founders not to start a company only to scale it or raise money. [1][2]

Personal life

Lakhani has said that home, for him, is Toronto. He has also said he used to live in Canada. [1][2]

Timeline

1995: Lakhani says the plan was to sell computers on installments.[2]
2003: Lakhani says his company was the largest company in Pakistan.[2]
2017: Someone who wanted to make a movie fund came to Lakhani, who then went in as a producer.[2]
2017-18: Lakhani says his movie was the first outside movie to go into Saudi Arabia.[2]
2021: Qist Bazaar was formally started in November.[2]
2024: Qist Bazaar raised a Series A led by Indus Valley Capital, with Gobi Partners joining.[1]
2025: The B round of Qist Bazaar started, with Indus Valley leading it.[1]

Appearances

Date	Title	Where
2025-10-29	You can buy anything on installments in Pakistan	Thought Behind Things
2022-07-01	The BNPL startup targeting Pakistan's unbanked majority	Thought Behind Things

Frequently asked questions

Who is Arif Lakhani?

Arif Lakhani is a co-founder of Qist Bazaar, a buy now, pay later business active in Pakistan. He has said that since 2017 he has co-produced two movies and a drama, and produced one drama alone.[1][2]

What does Arif Lakhani do?

Arif Lakhani is a co-founder of Qist Bazaar, and he has said he runs the company. He has also worked as a producer of films and dramas.[1][2]

What company did Arif Lakhani found?

Arif Lakhani is a co-founder of Qist Bazaar, which he describes as a buy now, pay later business. He has said the startup was formally started in November 2021.[1][2]

Where did Arif Lakhani study?

Arif Lakhani has said he attended school in Karachi and completed his high school in Singapore. He has said his last degree was his high school, and that he went online to the University of Phoenix but did not stay interested.[2]

What movies has Arif Lakhani produced?

Arif Lakhani has said that since 2017 he has co-produced two movies and a drama, and produced one drama alone. He has said he co-produced two movies together with Hareem Farooq and one other person.[2]

Who has invested in Qist Bazaar?

Arif Lakhani has said Bank Alfalah was the first investor on the Qist Bazaar cap table. He has said the 2024 Series A was led by Indus Valley Capital, with Gobi Partners joining, and that the first two funding rounds came to about $3.7 million in total.[1]

How many branches does Qist Bazaar have?

Arif Lakhani has said Qist Bazaar has 76 branches and is active in nine cities in Pakistan. He has also said about 550 people work full time at the company.[1]

Is Qist Bazaar Sharia compliant?

Arif Lakhani has said Qist Bazaar is certified as Pakistan's only Sharia-compliant company and is inspected twice a year. He has said the company charges no late fees, rejection fees or early-payment fees.[1]

References

You can buy anything on installments in Pakistan . Thought Behind Things , 2025-10-29.
The BNPL startup targeting Pakistan's unbanked majority . Thought Behind Things , 2022-07-01.

Show the source passages (157 statements)

The episode description names Arif Lakhani as Co-Founder of QistBazaar. Arif Lakhani, Co-Founder of QistBazaar
Arif Lakhani has said that he is a founder, a co-founder and a CEO. Today I'm the founder, I'm a co-founder and I'm a CEO and I have another founder with me
Arif Lakhani has said he runs a company called Qist Bazaar. I run a company called Kis Bazaar
Arif Lakhani describes Qist Bazaar as a buy now, pay later business. So Kist Bazaar basically ek BNPL hai, buy now pay later.
Arif Lakhani has said Qist Bazaar is active in nine cities in Pakistan. So we are now in 9 different cities in Pakistan actively.
Arif Lakhani has said Qist Bazaar has 76 branches. To hamari 76 branches hain.
Arif Lakhani has said about 550 people work full time at Qist Bazaar, across nine cities and 76 locations. So 9 cities, 76 locations and approximately 550 log is waqt Kist Bazaar ke andar full time employed hain.
Arif Lakhani has said the company started in Karachi, its home market. So you know you always start from home. Karachi was home, right?
Arif Lakhani has said the company expanded from Karachi to Hyderabad, then Sukkur, then Khairpur. Uske baad we went to Hyderabad, then we went to Sukkur, then we went to Khairpur.
Arif Lakhani has said Sukkur is one of the company's best places. Sukkur being one of our best places
Arif Lakhani has said the company looks at the density of a place and the number of unregulated players there. we look at the density of that place and then we look at the amount of unregulated players there
Arif Lakhani has said it would be easy for the company to open in 100 cities. It's very easy for us to open in 100 cities.
Arif Lakhani has said the company does not want to grow so thin that it can no longer do what it is already doing. We don't want to grow so thin ke hum jo kar rahe hain wohi na kar payein.
Arif Lakhani has said Qist Bazaar has been EBITDA positive from day one. So hence we've always been EBITDA positive from day one.
Arif Lakhani has said he hopes the company will reach 2,000 people in 200 branches and about 15 cities. Hopefully next time when we talk to it will be 2000 people in 200 branches and maybe 15 cities.
Arif Lakhani has said Karachi still has the most branches. Karachi still holds the highest number of branches.
Arif Lakhani has said tier-two cities are growing faster than new branches in tier-one cities. tier two cities are actually growing faster than new branches of tier one cities
Arif Lakhani has said the company now wants to serve expatriate Pakistanis who send money home. the other class that we really want to work now is with the expatriate Pakistani who actually sends money home
Arif Lakhani has said the company's non-performing loan figure is less than 5%. It's less than 5%, that NPL number, right?
Arif Lakhani has said fewer than half of the non-performing loans come from defaulters, and the rest are just behind. But not even half of them are defaulters. They are just behind.
Arif Lakhani has said having a bank on the cap table means the company must maintain its NPL ratios. But because we have a bank on cap table, we have to maintain our NPL ratios as well.
Arif Lakhani has said Bank Alfalah was the first investor on the company's cap table. Bank Alfalah was the first investor on our cap table
Arif Lakhani has said the 2024 Series A was led by Indus Valley Capital. 2024 mein we did our series A which was led by Indus Valley Capital
Arif Lakhani has said Gobi Partners joined the Series A round. we were lucky to get Gobi Partners in there as well
Arif Lakhani has said the B round started in 2025 and Indus Valley is leading it. 2025 we just started our B race. Uh Indus Valley uh is leading it
Arif Lakhani has said the first two funding rounds came to about $3.7 million in total. The first round was just $500,000. Second round was $3.2 million only. So $3.7 million
Arif Lakhani has said founders still hold more than two-thirds of the equity. we've still preserved more than two-thirds of the equity with the founders
Arif Lakhani has said employees hold a 10% ESOP in the company. The employees have 10% ESOP in the company
Arif Lakhani has said he expects the company to rely more on debt than equity over time. I think aage jaake it will be more debt than equity.
Arif Lakhani has said he expects the company to be listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange within 24 months. 24 months maximum, you will see us InshaAllah on the Pakistan Stock Exchange
Arif Lakhani has said the company does not plan to leave Pakistan. We don't plan to get out of Pakistan at all.
Arif Lakhani has said the company does not plan to list on foreign stock exchanges. We don't plan to go to Dubai Stock Exchange or London or Luxembourg etc.
Arif Lakhani has said that if the company lists, it would first offer shares to its customers, because it is a B2C business. Agar hum jayenge toh pehle hum apne consumer se kahenge, jis kis bazaar ka aapne product khareeda hai, woh kis bazaar ki aaj company ko bhi khareede
Arif Lakhani has said Pakistani companies are not allowed to hold a US dollar account in Pakistan. Pakistani corporate is not allowed to hold a US dollar account in Pakistan.
Arif Lakhani has said most startup investment is parked abroad, in places such as Singapore, Bahrain, Dubai and the Cayman Islands, rather than coming to Pakistan. Most of the investment that comes in startups does not come to Pakistan. It gets parked in Singapore, it gets parked in Bahrain, it gets parked in Dubai, in Cayman Island
Arif Lakhani has said he does not think the company is increasing consumerism. Mera nahi khayal hamari wajah se consumerism badh raha hai.
Arif Lakhani has said the company offers a better halal option for buying the same goods. We are giving them a behtar halal option to acquire the same thing
Arif Lakhani has said many people became delivery riders because the company financed their bike and phone. Tons of people have only become riders because they were able to afford a bike and a phone from us
Arif Lakhani has said the company has 1,400 different SKUs. Hamare case mein 1400 different SKUs hain jisse aap select kar sakte hain.
Arif Lakhani has said the same percentages and the same income apply to every product. Sab pe same percentages hain, sab pe same income hai.
Arif Lakhani has said the company is regulated by an agency that inspects it often. we are regulated by an agency jo humein baar baar dekh rahi hoti hai
Arif Lakhani has said the company is a non-banking financial institution, so it cannot take deposits. there is a category called a non-banking financial institution which does a lot of things that a bank does uh but we can't take deposits
Arif Lakhani has said the company holds a full licence that allows a variety of activities, including nano loans. So, it's an IFS license which is a full license where you can do variety of things including nano loans
Arif Lakhani has said the company could not accept payments on its website because its licence did not cover it. Hamari website pe humein hum payment nahi accept kar sakte kyunki hamare license mein nahi tha.
Arif Lakhani has said the company cannot host its servers on Amazon or Google because they are not in Pakistan. hum apne servers Amazon pe nahi rakh sakte, hum Google servers nahi rakh sakte, kyunki woh Pakistan mein nahi hai
Arif Lakhani has said investors see the company's figures but not customers' names or NIC numbers. They get to see all the other things but they don't get to see your name or your NIC number
Arif Lakhani has said a repeat customer gets a second product only after six good instalments on the first. We are going to give you one product and we'll give you a second product after you paid 6 good installments of the first
Arif Lakhani has said about 75% of customers are new and need social guarantors who live near them. But for the rest of the 75% of people who are new to us, we still want those people to have some social guarantors who live around them
Arif Lakhani has said the company designed its own credit engine. Hamare credit engine ki taraf se ki andar se guzarta hai jo hamara apna designed hai.
Arif Lakhani has said the company's system accumulates points and tells an applicant whether two guarantors are needed or the company does not serve their area. Based on the points that the system accumulates, it tells you ki ab aapko do guarantee ki zaroorat hai ya is waqt hum aapke area mein service nahi kar rahe hain
Arif Lakhani has said the human touch after the system check is the cornerstone of what the company does. Yeh wahan uske baad se human touch start hota hai, which we think is the cornerstone the cornerstone of what we do
Arif Lakhani has said the company gets at least 100 calls a day from banks asking about customers. we get at least 100 calls a day, 100 calls a day from the banks of Pakistan asking about certain customers
Arif Lakhani has said the company wants to stay with each customer through every stage of their life. we are a company that wants that customer to be with them throughout in whatever their need is
Arif Lakhani has said women make up roughly 28 to 30% of the company's customers. hamara 30% mere khayal se ya 28% khawateen hain
Arif Lakhani has said the company provided 15,000 used laptops to people working on Upwork and Fiverr. 15,000 used laptops diye to Upwork aur Fiverr ke logon ko
Arif Lakhani has said the company plans to cash out 25% of the ESOP when the Series B closes. jab series B hamari close hogi to hum usmein se 25% cash out kar denge
Arif Lakhani has advised founders not to start a company only to scale it or raise money. I would actually advise everyone ke aap startup sirf isliye na aayein ke aapko scale karna hai ya aapko paise lene hain
Arif Lakhani has said the founder of Indus Valley Capital sits on the company's board. So the founder of Indus Valley Capital is on our board.
Arif Lakhani has said the founder of Gobi is on the cap table. We have the founder of Gobi in our cap table
Arif Lakhani has said one of the company's board members was formerly the chief technology officer of another company. one of the board members is a foreign guy who was last the CTO for a company called Handshake
Arif Lakhani has said he previously ran Airbnb properties in Atlanta, Chicago and Toronto. Mera ek purana business tha Airbnb ke hum ghar chalaya karte the in Atlanta, Chicago and Toronto
Arif Lakhani has said he was previously a stock exchange investor. my past was that I was a stock exchange investor
Arif Lakhani has said he became an Endeavor entrepreneur about six months before the episode. Mujhe Endeavor entrepreneur bane hue mere khayal se shayad 6 mahine ho gaye
Arif Lakhani has called Endeavor the best experience that anyone can have. Um hands down, Endeavor has been the best experience that anyone can have
Arif Lakhani has said that home, for him, is Toronto. home for me is Toronto
Arif Lakhani has said Pakistan has about 300 million people. Because Pakistan is 300 million.
Arif Lakhani has said the next few years may be the best years for Pakistan. next kuch saal shayad Pakistan ke best saal honge
Arif Lakhani has said Pakistan has a new emerging middle class that many people do not yet recognise. Pakistan mein ek nayi emerging middle class hai jo logon ko pata hi nahi hai.
Arif Lakhani has said that many of the new algorithm-based BNPL companies that entered the market failed. algorithmic based naye BNPLs aaye the jo ke kaafi fail hue
Arif Lakhani has said cash always loses value over time. cash is always losing value at any any given time
Arif Lakhani has said value should be standardised, so that the amount taken equals the amount given. Value standardized honi chahiye, jitna diya utna liya, right?
Arif Lakhani has said both debt and equity investment go into the company's book. Dono dono investment debt aur equity dono is going inside the book
Arif Lakhani has said the company does not advertise 0% financing. we don't we don't advertise 0%
Arif Lakhani has said the company's installment prices are 10 to 15% above what a brand store charges in retail. which is anywhere from 10 to 15% higher than what a retail price could be with a brand store
Arif Lakhani has said the upcharge on a six-month plan is about 10%. Agar aap 6 mahine mein lete hain to woh upcharge hai takreeban 10%
Arif Lakhani has said a 30,000 rupee phone would cost about 34,500 rupees on a 12-month plan. That means that a 30,000 phone will cost you about 34,500 uh if you are buying it on 12 months
Arif Lakhani has said the price shown on the website is the total price the customer pays. agar aapko website pe 30,000 rupaye nazar aa raha hai to woh 30,000 mein aap hamara totally 30,000 ban raha hoga
Arif Lakhani has said the company uses ijarah for bikes. we do Musamah for most of the products that we sell and we do Ijarah in bikes
Arif Lakhani has said the company is certified as Pakistan's only Sharia-compliant company. we are Pakistan's only Sharia compliant company certified by SCCP
Arif Lakhani has said the company is inspected twice a year. Hum ek certified company hai jiske saal mein do dafa inspections hote hain
Arif Lakhani has said the company charges no late fees, rejection fees or early-payment fees. Koi late charges nahi hai, koi um rejection charges nahi hai, early payment ke koi charges nahi hai
Arif Lakhani has said the company charges no processing or delivery fee. Koi processing charge nahi hai, koi delivery charge nahi hai
Arif Lakhani has said the company takes no extra charges because Islam does not allow them. Kyunki Islam mein extra charges lena allowed nahi hai, come what may
Arif Lakhani has said the company has given about 120,000 loans worth around 8 billion rupees. We have given out close to what 120,000 loans so far of around 8 billion rupees
Arif Lakhani has said a Qist Bazaar employee who takes a tip would no longer work for the company if it found out. if a Kis Bazaar employee takes a tip and if we find out, they are not with us anymore
Arif Lakhani has said QistBazaar does not allow products to be given as jahez. Now QistBazaar does not allow anyone to give any product in jahez.
Arif Lakhani has said the company inspects each product and requires it to be in the buyer's possession. QistBazaar tells you that we will inspect the product and it has to be in your possession
Arif Lakhani has said he was part of a delegation to the second business forum between Pakistan and China. we were part of a delegation yeh jo Pakistan China Business Forum uh ka get together tha. Um it was the second and we were invited by Ignite
Arif Lakhani has said the real business will happen about 20 years from now. The real business is going to be happening 20 years from now when that consumer
Arif Lakhani is the Co-Founder of Qist Bazaar. In tonight’s conversation with the Co-Founder of Qist Bazaar, Mr. Arif Lakhani.
Arif says that in 2017 someone who wanted to make a movie fund came to him. he wanted to make a movie fund in 2017 and he came to me
Arif says he then went in as a producer. So, then I went in and then I went in as a producer.
Arif says he co-produced two movies together with Hareem Farooq and one other person. Parchi and Heer Maan Ja, the two movies that I co-produced with Hareem Farooq and Imran Raza Kazmi
Arif says since 2017 he has co-produced two movies and a drama, and produced one drama alone. between 2017 and now, I've done two movies, co-produced, one drama, co-produced, and one drama on my own.
Arif says producers of the best Pakistani movies have never seen the set. I can tell you the best movies that have been produced out of Pakistan, producer has never seen the set.
Arif says a drama is often sold before it is made. because I don't know if you know, drama banne se pehle bik jata hai.
Arif estimates that a drama returns about 25% a year. So, if I have to answer then drama, you're looking at maybe about 25% year-on-year.
Arif says the return on a movie is completely unpredictable. Movie is completely unpredictable.
Arif says their first movie cost about four crore rupees and took twelve crore at the box office. Hamari pehli movie was maybe worth about char crore rupees of cost and it did 12 crore ka box office.
Arif says McDonald's gave 5 million for one of his movies. McDonald's was great, McDonald's gave us 5 million for that movie.
Arif says his movie was the first outside movie to go into Saudi Arabia, in 2017-18. We were the first movie, outside movie, that went into Saudi Arabia in 2017-18.
Arif says he has had many conversations with Netflix, which is easier to reach from outside Pakistan. I've had a lot of conversations with Netflix, probably because they're easier to access if you live outside.
Arif's father, who worked at Habib Bank, was transferred to Singapore. I did my grade nine from there and then my father was working in Habib Bank toh unka transfer ho gaya Singapore.
Arif says he attended school in Karachi. So school I did St. Michael's Karachi ke andar jo us zamane mein ek achi school hua karti thi.
Arif completed his high school in Singapore. Toh maine apni high school Singapore se ki.
Arif says his last degree was his high school. So if you ask me my last degree, so that was my high school.
Arif says he is not a graduate and never finished his degree. I'm not a graduate, I never finished it because by 2003 we were the largest company of Pakistan.
Arif says he went online to the University of Phoenix but did not stay interested. I went to University of Phoenix as well online but just did not get interested in it.
Arif says people should finish a degree wherever they can, because networks matter. I think people should go with the system, graduate from wherever they can kyunke graduate karne mein sirf school ka faida nahi hai, network ka faida hai.
While in Singapore, Arif did a two-month internship at Habib Bank and realised it was not his kind of work. So while in Singapore, do mahine maine internship ki Habib Bank ke andar aur mujhe nazar aa gaya yeh mera kaam nahi hai
Arif says he bought shoes in Pakistan during visits and sold them to drivers. Pakistan jab aaya karte thay toh main yahan se joote khareedta tha, wahan main bechta tha drivers ko.
Arif says the plan was to sell computers on installments in 1995. Hum qiston pe computers bechenge in 1995.
Arif says his company supplied 4,000 computers to Habib Bank and 3,000 to UBL. we had given Habib Bank 4000 computers, UBL 3000 computers
Arif says his company was the largest company in Pakistan by 2003. because by 2003 we were the largest company of Pakistan.
Arif says the company was founded to sell goods on installments. the whole idea behind that company was kiston mein saman bechna.
Arif says the company later became a distributor for IBM and Acer in Pakistan. Seven eight years down, we were distributors for IBM in Pakistan and Acer in Pakistan.
Arif says his principal company does well on exports. my principal company does good on export, which I mean, which which is very decent.
Arif says he used to live in Canada. Main Canada mein raha karta tha and just like any other investment
Arif says he had just turned 47. Ji ji, just turned 47 three days back.
Arif says the startup was formally started in November 2021. So, formally started in November of 2021, toh yeh aathwan mahina hai.
Arif says the startup has done better than the team expected. Jo hum soch rahe the, usse kahin behtar.
Arif says the startup is not loss-making. Profit, we are not a loss-making startup like a lot of other startups because at 47, I don't want to get into a loss-making startup.
Arif says the startup was meant to have a social motive as well as a commercial one. Toh idea tha ke iske peeche thoda sa ek social motive bhi ho.
Arif says mobile phones made up 65% of orders at one point. cell phone was 65% of the demand. 65% of orders was cell phones.
Arif says refurbished laptops are now the company's second highest selling product. Today, refurbished laptop is second highest selling product from us.
Arif says gaming and exports are likely to be among the best sectors in coming times. I think gaming for example, exports for example. I think with zero input they will probably be the best sectors in coming times.
Arif says he is not political. Doosra mujhe mera yeh belief hai I'm not political at all.
Arif says some work has to be done on population control, which he thinks is the key. I do think some work has to be done on population control. I think that is the key
Arif says consumption is an inherent part of growth for any person. So consumption is inherent is an inherent is an inherent part of growth for any human being in in terms of human psychology.
Arif says only about 12% of Pakistanis receive a salary slip. 12% Pakistani ko salary slip milti hai sirf.
Arif says that once the company becomes an NBFC, it is compelled to report all of its data. Ab jis minute hum NBFC ban jate hain, hum pe yeh compulsion hai ki hum saara data inko report karenge.
Arif says the company is trying to bring a good local bank onto its cap table. we are trying to bring uh a good local bank on our cap.
Arif says his father used to work at a bank he is very fond of. bank that I'm very fond of because my father used to work there, Soneri Bank.
The company says it sells only at an installment price, with no separate cash price. So, we have only one price, which is installment price. We don't have a cash price.
The company describes its product as buy now pay later for the unbanked. So, easy words mein Kisbazaar is buy now pay later for the unbanked.
The company says its average customer earns between Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 50,000 a month. Hamara average customer Rs. 25,000 se Rs. 50,000 earn karta hai mahine ka.
The company asks customers to name two nearby people as social guarantors. Humein aapke nazdeek ke do log jo aapke yahan neighbors hon, ya aapke aas paas ki parchoon ki dukan ho, doodh wale ki dukan ho, unse shakhsi zamanat chahiye.
The company says it serves anyone, including students and drivers. Even if you are a student, even if you are a driver in kisi ke ghar mein, toh aapke liye yeh hai.
The company says customers apply online with their name, address and ID card number. aap online apna naam, pata, shanaxti card number aur address daalte hain, chaar cheezein daalte hain.
The company says it does not verify the salary a customer states. Hum aapki tankhah validate nahi karenge, yeh aapke upar hai ke aap sahi batayein.
The company says customers pay an advance when the goods are delivered. Jab aapko deliver kar rahe hote hain, us moment pe aap advance payment karte hain.
The company says no late charges should be added to the price. Price ke upar koi late charges nahi hone chahiye.
The company says a Rs. 70,000 price stays Rs. 70,000 and does not rise with late payments. Agar ek cheez ki price Rs. 70,000 hai toh woh Rs. 70,000 hi rahegi.
The company says the price difference for installment buyers is about 12%. Toh jaise main aapko yeh bata raha tha ke usme farq aapka hoga taqreeban 12% ka.
The company says its 12% figure works out to an IRR of nearly 24%. ke 12% ka IRR nearly 24% banta hai.
The company says it is Shariah compliant and has consulted Muftis for a certificate. We are in all terms Shariah compliant. We have spoken to Muftis to get a certificate as well.
The company says it is waiting for an NBFC licence. We are just waiting for our NBFC license.
The company says it spoke to two Muftis linked to Meezan Bank, Habib Bank and UBL. I've spoken to two Muftis who are on Meezan Bank, Habib Bank, UBL, all these places.
The company says it would not use automatic salary deduction. I would not do that because because I know being on the other side
The company says it does not contact customers who are 10 or 12 days late. Hum aapko 10 din, 12 din disturb nahi karte.
The company says it collects overdue payments by calls, not by hounding. we try our best to get the money, not by hounding, but by calling.
The company says a representative visits a defaulting customer, then asks the guarantor to pay. So we would actually have someone, one of our representative go to their home. And at that point we will actually trigger the guarantor element.
The company says its past records show 99.9% of cases are solved at the guarantor stage. normally hamara past says that 99.9% cases wahan pe solve ho jate hain.
The company says its non-performing loan rate is under 0.5%. Our NPL today is less than 0.5%, that means everyone is paying.
The company says about 90% of its customers pay digitally. 90% log jo hain, woh digitally payment kar rahe hain humein.
Arif says about 7,000 people have bought from the company so far. we have 7000 people that have taken from us.
Arif says about 97% of Karachi customers had no payment problems, against about 70% in Lahore. Karachi was like 97% no problem. Lahore was maybe 70% no problem and Pindi was maybe about 60% no problem.