New Delhi, April 28
Seventy per cent of women business owners in India, especially those from tier II and III cites, want to improve their financial, marketing, and digital skills to scale their ventures, according to a report on Monday.
The findings, based on a survey of over 1,300 new and existing women business owners (aged 18-55 years) across non-metro cities, showed that 52 per cent of women entrepreneurs operate in digitally native sectors like retail, e-commerce, and edtech.
The Bharat Women Aspiration Index (BWAI) 2025, released by the UK-based business financial platform Tide, captures the aspirations and pain points of women entrepreneurs from tier II and III, and beyond towns in India. It also sheds light on the opportunities and challenges they face.
It showed that just over 1 in 10 or 12 per cent, are ranked digital skilling as a key priority -- signaling a mismatch between industry needs and self-perception; and 54 per cent feel financial institutions perceive them as less creditworthy.
Notably, 90 per cent of businesses are driven by Gen Z and millennial entrepreneurs, with 83 per cent emerging from tier 2 and beyond -- highlighting how more entrepreneurs are emerging from smaller Indian cities.
India's women entrepreneurs from Tier 2, 3, and beyond towns are ambitious, digitally aware, and determined to grow - but they are held back by structural gaps in finance, networks, and visibility.
Yet, 86 per cent rarely or never participate in any business networks, cutting them off from critical peer support.
Even though they run their own businesses, 52 per cent still need a male family member to access credit - reflecting deep-seated gatekeeping in credit systems.
"The BWAI 2025 findings reflect a deep aspiration among women entrepreneurs in India's smaller towns -- but show that big challenges remain. It's heartening that many women are more confident in their ability to manage finances and market their businesses," said Gurjodhpal Singh, CEO, of Tide India.
"However, barriers like limited access to formal networks, digital tools, and financing - some still routed through male intermediaries - remain widespread," he added.
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is so inspiring! As a woman running a small handicraft business in Jaipur, I completely relate to the need for better financial skills. The part about male intermediaries in credit access really hit home 😔 We need more programs to help women like us!
Interesting report but I wish it had more concrete suggestions for how to bridge these gaps. The 86% statistic about business networks is shocking - maybe local chambers of commerce could create women-only networking events?
So proud of my fellow women entrepreneurs! 👠Running my online saree business from Indore has been challenging but so rewarding. The digital skills training mentioned here would be a game-changer - anyone know good courses?
Respectfully, while the report highlights important issues, I think it overgeneralizes about male gatekeeping. Many banks and NBFCs now have special loan programs for women entrepreneurs. Progress is happening, even if slowly.
The statistic about 52% needing male family members for credit access broke my heart 💔 We've come so far but still have so far to go. More power to all the women building businesses against these odds! #WomenEntrepreneurs
As someone who works with small businesses, I can confirm the digital skills gap is real. Many women-run businesses have amazing products but struggle with basic digital marketing. Free/low-cost training could unlock so much potential!
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