70% of women entrepreneurs in Tier II, III and beyond eager to improve business-critical skills: Index

The Bharat Women Aspiration Index (BWAI) 2025 released by Tide has thrown up some interesting findings about India’s women entrepreneurs from Tier II and III cities and towns beyond.

It highlighted that 70% of women business owners want to improve their financial, marketing, and digital skills to scale their ventures.

However, it also revealed that 86% rarely or never participate in any business networks, cutting them off from critical peer support. Even though they run their own businesses, 52% still need a male family member to access credit—reflecting deep-seated gatekeeping in credit systems.

According to a press release, 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.

The Bharat Women Aspiration Index called on ecosystem stakeholders—banks, policymakers, platforms, and NGOs to come together and simplify credit access, create community-rooted mentorship models, build storytelling platforms, and equip women with digital and financial tools that meet them where they are.

Here are some important findings from BWAI 2025

● 52% operate in digitally native sectors like retail, e-commerce, edtech

● 2%, or just over 1 in 10, ranked digital skilling as a key priority - signaling a mismatch between industry needs and self-perception.

● 54% feel financial institutions perceive them as less creditworthy

● 90% of businesses are driven by Gen Z and Millennial entrepreneurs, with 83% emerging from Tier 2 and beyond - highlighting how more entrepreneurs are emerging from smaller Indian cities.

Gurjodhpal Singh, CEO, Tide India said, “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. However, barriers like limited access to formal networks, digital tools, and financing - some still routed through male intermediaries - remain widespread.”

As an extension of last year’s TWIBE initiative, Tide has launched a multi-city advocacy roadshow—The Udaan Chronicles, that 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.

Tide is committed to supporting 500,000 women-led businesses to start out by the end of 2027, part of a global pledge to support women entrepreneurs, the press release added.

To achieve this, Tide has partnered with WE Hub, North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation Limited (NEHHDC) and the Ubuntu Consortium. Tide also hosts Ekatritt—its flagship Women in Business event every year to bring together women entrepreneurs from across India, along with conducting skill training sessions for women business owners.