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Most women running small businesses in tier II and smaller cities want customised financial products to suit their requirements and one third of such entrepreneurs still face challenges in accessing credit despite various schemes that are in place, a report said.

Strict collateral requirements and low financial literacy create a cycle of exclusion and to fix these issues urgent policy changes are needed to encourage alternative credit options, like collateral-free microloans and gender-sensitive lending practices, according to the Bharat Women Aspiration Index (BWAI) 2025 released by a business management platform Tide.

Women entrepreneurs from Tier II, III and beyond towns are ambitious, digitally aware, and determined to grow – but they are held back by structural gaps in finance, networks, and visibility, the report released on Monday said.

Tide surveyed over 1,300 new and existing women business owners (aged 18-55 years) across non-metro cities for the second edition of BWAI.

Notably, 58 per cent emphasised the need to enhance their financial and business management skills, while 12 percent expressed a strong desire to develop digital competencies, it said.

"The majority operate in micro and small enterprises, lifting communities up, not just in urban centres, but beyond, as part of Viksit Bharat. Embodying the spirit of Nari Shakti, women entrepreneurs are redefining their role as they break down social and institutional barriers and gender biases," Tide India CEO Gurjodhpal Singh said.

However, he said, barriers like limited access to formal networks, digital tools, and financing – some still routed through male intermediaries – remain widespread.

Nearly 28 percent of respondents said they always need a male family member to be involved when seeking funding, creating a major obstacle in their journey as entrepreneurs, it said.

The report suggested that investing in digital skills, raising awareness of support programmes, and improving networking and mentorship – while tackling societal biases – will help women entrepreneurs turn their goals into reality and drive sustainable economic growth.

Meanwhile, Tide has launched a multi-city advocacy roadshow – The Udaan Chronicles. This initiative aims to create meaningful change in the lives of women entrepreneurs across Bharat by addressing grassroots challenges and unlocking their full potential.

Through expert-led mentoring sessions, it offers direct support to women who often lack access to formal networks and financial literacy resources, it said, adding, this programme looks to foster peer networks, and aims at sparking a ripple effect of visibility, belief, and Naari Shakti across India's entrepreneurial landscape.

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