LAHORE: Fori Mazdoori is a smart app initiative that thrives on digital inclusion by connecting blue-collared workers instantly with employers across Pakistan. Launching its first operation in May 2017, Fori has partnered with Telenor Pakistan with 50 retailers on-board, and has angel investors like InfoTech Group backing them up. Fori aims to bridge the gap between the non-technical work force and the dynamic digital world through its integrated platforms including a bilingual app, a fully functional website, and retailers that serve as registration centres. Dr. Musstanser Tinauli, founder of Fori Mazdoori commented, “To make Fori work, workers will walk-in to register at any of our partner outlets, such as a Telenor biometric-enabled retailers. The retailer through usage of our retailer app (designed mostly in Urdu) will create the worker’s profile directly into the Fori Mazdoori database. The registration process makes the workers instantly searchable in their vicinity through our website (http://www.forimazdoori.com) and the android user app. After connecting and hiring the workers, the employer can recommend and rate the worker’s performance. Through Fori, we will be able to impact millions of workers, and enable them to become part of the digital world whether they have access to the internet or not. We estimate, just one additional job courtesy Fori Mazdoori, would help a worker earn an additional 50% aggregated monthly wage. Also, through Fori, a worker with very limited resources and access to technology will now be able to be present online 24/7 through a profile with star ratings, photos, videos, friends and recommendations.” Mr. Haris Naseer, director of InfoTech Group added, “With staggering unemployment currently at 6%, and about 30% of the country’s population living below poverty line, Fori has the potential to provide enormous income opportunities for the greatly unstructured labor resources in our country, while at the same time providing a convenient service to consumers. InfoTech is proud to be a strategic partner of Fori Mazdoori”. In the last three years Fori has won several national and international awards including;15 top start-ups at Start-Up Istanbul (2016), Telenor Apportunity Challenge (2015), Digital Asia Winners, Best Startup Award in Pakistan Startup Expo (2015), and were also in the first cohort of Telenor Velocity (2016). In Pakistan, after Karachi, Fori aims to extend its services in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Lahore with multiple telecom and logistic partners. The company envisions to become the largest and the most up-to date database for the labour-force across South Asia. You can follow their journey on facebook (fori mazdoori) or on twitter @musstanser & @forimazdoori.