Prosocial P2P lending platforms are a novel and powerful example of a digital social innovation (DSI) in which the operating model relies primarily on digital technologies and the overarching focus is on the “social” aspect of the innovation. These platforms establish a virtual connection between low-income individuals and lenders, helping the former access loans at low rates of interest. In realising their mission of fighting poverty, prosocial P2P lending platforms maintain a challenging hybrid – online and offline – focus. This paper explores how prosocial P2P lending platforms enact their hybrid orientation. It draws on an inductive qualitative study of Rang De, India's first prosocial P2P lending platform. The analysis highlights five clusters of actions: digital attention-building, digital credibility-building, digital empathy-building, intermediary relationship-building, and borrower relationship-building. The paper argues that significant strengths on the online side help establish a sustainable business model. A willingness and commitment to maintain a high degree of engagement with the complex offline world of low-income borrowers helps develop the model as an impactful social innovation.

中文翻译：

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社会创新与脱贫：分析印度首个亲社会 P2P 借贷平台

亲社会 P2P 借贷平台是数字社会创新 (DSI) 的一个新颖而有力的例子，其中运营模式主要依赖于数字技术，而总体重点是创新的“社会”方面。这些平台在低收入个人和贷方之间建立了虚拟联系，帮助前者以低利率获得贷款。在实现其与贫困作斗争的使命时，亲社会 P2P 借贷平台保持着具有挑战性的线上和线下混合焦点。本文探讨了亲社会 P2P 借贷平台如何制定其混合取向。它借鉴了对印度第一个亲社会 P2P 借贷平台 Rang De 的归纳定性研究。该分析强调了五组行动：数字注意力建设、数字信誉建设、数字同理心建设、建立中介关系和建立借款人关系。该论文认为，在线方面的显着优势有助于建立可持续的商业模式。与低收入借款人复杂的线下世界保持高度接触的意愿和承诺有助于将该模型发展为具有影响力的社会创新。