PNM Opens Study Tours to Broaden Business Horizons for Ultra-Micro Enterprises
For ultra-micro enterprises, limitations are not just about capital, but also access to knowledge and inspiration to grow their businesses. PT Permodalan Nasional Madani (Persero), or PNM, is providing a solution. Through a sustainable empowerment approach, PNM is helping clients enrolled in the Mekaar programme to open up new perspectives on the potential of their businesses.
Based on the belief that increasing business capacity is the foundation for prosperity, PNM invited group leaders of its PNM Mekaar clients to participate in a Reward Study Tour. During the tour, participants learned how simple commodities can be turned into various value-added products.
For instance, a study tour in Solo taught participants how to process cassava into snacks like slondok and gemblong. This hands-on learning experience created space for the birth of new ideas that can be applied to their own businesses.
The programme is proof that empowerment does not stop at the disbursement of financing. PNM is creating change by broadening the horizons of women ultra-micro entrepreneurs so they can see opportunities in their surroundings, improve product quality, and strengthen business competitiveness. This approach also fosters self-confidence to continue growing and creating greater economic value for their families.
PNM President Director Kindaris stated that direct learning experiences are one of the most effective ways to build business capacity that originates from household kitchens. "PNM continues to strengthen services that not only provide access to financing, but also present opportunities to learn from best practices. We hope that every experience gained by clients can be translated and taught back to their group members, becoming business innovations that impact income increases and family economic resilience," he said on Thursday, 6 August 2026.
The impact is already being felt by participants. Dyah Wulandari, one of the participants, admitted she now has more ideas to develop her business after seeing first-hand how cassava can be processed into products with higher selling value. "I am happy, now I know that raw materials around us can be processed into more attractive products. I can’t wait to try new things and develop my business," she said.
In addition to enriching business insights, the activity also strengthened collaboration among participants through various group activities. For PNM, change is not only measured by increased knowledge, but also by the growth of networks, self-confidence, and the courage of women ultra-micro entrepreneurs to continue innovating.
Through various empowerment programmes, PNM continues to demonstrate that creating impact means bringing about sustainable change. By combining financing and business capacity development, PNM not only helps clients run their businesses today, but also builds a foundation for them to scale up, become more adaptive to change, and be more competitive in strengthening the economy of their families and communities.