BSI strengthens Islamic finance ecosystem across 14,000 Indonesian pesantren

Bank Syariah Indonesia says it is working to help Indonesia’s pesantren move up economically, not only through education and religious activities but also as centers of community empowerment. The bank currently manages financial services for more than 14,000 pesantren nationwide.

BSI President Director Anggoro Eko Cahyo said the bank was committed to helping pesantren become more economically independent. About 23.9% of the pesantren it serves are located in East Java, one of Indonesia’s largest pesantren bases.

The bank’s approach includes integrated services for institutional administration and local economic activity. These include cash-management facilities, BSI Agent outlets and the BYOND by BSI mobile banking application, which serves as the main digital banking platform for pesantren communities.

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BSI is committed to helping pesantren move up and become increasingly economically independent

Anggoro said the expanded digital banking services were intended to help pesantren develop into centers of economic empowerment and engines of national growth in Islamic finance. The initiative also includes closer cooperation with Nahdlatul Ulama, one of Indonesia’s largest Islamic community organizations.

BSI said it recently became the first institution formally received by KH Abdul Hakim Mahfudz, also known as Gus Kikin, on his first day as elected chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama’s central board for the 2026-2031 term. The meeting focused on financial literacy, access, institutional development, community economic empowerment and strengthening the pesantren ecosystem.

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Through stronger digital banking services, BSI wants to ensure that pesantren are not only centers of education and religious outreach, but can also transform into centers of community economic empowerment and engines of national economic and Islamic finance growth