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.
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