70% of Women Entrepreneurs Seek Skill Upgradation: Report The survey, conducted with over 1,300 women entrepreneurs aged 18–55, revealed that 86% remain disconnected from entrepreneurial networks—denying them critical peer support and mentorship opportunities.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
Women entrepreneurs in India's smaller cities are striving to scale their businesses—but continue to face entrenched obstacles that hinder their progress.
According to the Bharat Women Aspiration Index (BWAI) 2025, released by Tide, 70% of women business owners from Tier II, III, and beyond are eager to enhance their skills in finance, marketing, and digital operations. However, their ambitions are often curbed by lack of access to credit, business networks, and public representation.
The survey, conducted with over 1,300 women entrepreneurs aged 18–55, revealed that 86% remain disconnected from entrepreneurial networks—denying them critical peer support and mentorship opportunities. Alarmingly, more than half (52%) still require a male family member to access credit, highlighting the deep-rooted gender bias in India's financial systems.
"The BWAI 2025 findings reflect a deep aspiration among women entrepreneurs in India's smaller towns—but show that big challenges remain," said Gurjodhpal Singh, CEO, Tide India. "It's heartening that many women are more confident in their ability to manage finances and market their businesses. However, barriers like limited access to formal networks, digital tools, and financing—some still routed through male intermediaries—remain widespread."
The report also found that 54% of respondents believe financial institutions view them as less creditworthy, and 49% feel underrepresented in public and media narratives—signaling a societal need to amplify women's entrepreneurial stories. While 52% operate in digitally native sectors like e-commerce and edtech, only 12% ranked digital skilling as a key priority—suggesting a mismatch between industry trends and self-perception.
With 90% of women-led ventures driven by Gen Z and Millennials, and 83% emerging from Tier II and smaller towns, the Index underscores the potential of Bharat's entrepreneurial ecosystem—if systemic gaps can be bridged.
In response, Tide has launched the Udaan Chronicles, a multi-city advocacy roadshow aligned with India's Naari Shakti vision. As an extension of last year's TWIBE initiative, the programme offers expert-led mentoring sessions, builds peer support networks, and enhances access to financial literacy tools.
Tide aims to support 500,000 women-led businesses by 2027, in collaboration with WE Hub, NEHHDC, and the Ubuntu Consortium. Additionally, Tide's annual flagship event, Ekatritt, brings together women entrepreneurs from across India to foster collaboration and empowerment.
The BWAI 2025 is not just a report—it's a blueprint for action, calling on banks, platforms, policymakers, and NGOs to co-create solutions that meet women entrepreneurs where they are and help them soar.
