Entrepreneurship
SME
Women Empowerment
Funds For Strengthening Her Enterprise
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ); The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)

How can we increase accessibility of women's formal finance in India?

With the growing recognition of women entrepreneurs' contribution towards economic growth, IFC commissioned Athena to undertake a nation-wide diagnostic study. It looked at the demand and supply of women's formal finance for women-owned Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The study estimated the gap through a hybrid approach, including both secondary estimation and primary data collection. It also profiled women-owned businesses, their needs for financial and non-financial services, uptake of financial products and the barriers to their access. It subsequently identified and presented key areas of focus to improve women entrepreneurs' access to finance.