A joint report by TransUnion CIBIL, NITI Aayog’s WEP and Microsave Consulting said women are moving from passive beneficiaries to active drivers of credit demand. The number of women accessing formal credit grew at a CAGR of 9% between 2017 and 2025. Outstanding loans to women increased by 4.8 times during this period, while overall loans increased by 2.9 times. “The number of women accessing formal credit in India is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9% between 2017 and 2025, underscoring their increasing engagement with the financial system. Outstanding loans to women borrowers have increased by 4.8 times since 2017, while total loans have increased by 2.9 times, indicating a significantly faster expansion. In recent years, the development of digital infrastructure has facilitated easier onboarding, faster loan processing and better access to information,” said Bhavesh Jain, MD & CEO, TransUnion CIBIL.The share of women in retail credit creation to increase from 24% in 2022 to 27% in 2025, reflecting broad-based growth across all sectors. Their share in housing loan origination increased from 63% to 69% over the same period, indicating increased ownership of property and participation in financial decisions. Women’s share in consumption loans increased from 16% to 19%, while in gold loans it increased from 36% to 37%. The share of new-credit women borrowers in retail loans increases by 10 percentage points to 38% in 2025, reflecting expansion into previously unserved areas.Nidhi Chhibber, CEO, NITI Aayog, said, “At NITI Aayog, we believe that access to finance is a structural enabler of women’s economic participation. Through platforms such as the Women Entrepreneurship Forum and the Financing Women Collaborative, we are working to strengthen ecosystem coordination.”The report said increased access to credit is translating into greater economic participation. The number of women with active business-purpose loans has grown at a CAGR of 31% over the last three years, indicating a shift towards enterprise activity. Digitization has reduced turnaround time, with same-day approvals in consumption loans increasing from 34% in 2022 to 45% in 2025. About 19% of active microfinance borrowers now hold personal retail or commercial loans, suggesting a move toward more complex financial products.The report outlines measures to further expand participation. It said lenders should use digital transaction data such as UPI history for underwriting, especially for borrowers without collateral. It called for strengthening last mile digital capacity through collective and peer-to-peer networks to build trust. It recommended lifecycle-based financial products that link savings, credit and literacy, focusing on women under 35. It also says expansion should be supported by better risk segmentation and the use of alternative data to bring disadvantaged women into the system while maintaining portfolio quality.The report said the ecosystem should track progress metrics such as graduation rates and multi-product holdings rather than just focusing on disbursement volumes. It also called for the integration of non-financial support such as local and voice-enabled digital models and market linkages to help scale up women-led businesses.Women in Credit: Women’s share in credit is increasing due to digital platforms & more related News Here
A joint report by TransUnion CIBIL, NITI Aayog’s WEP and Microsave Consulting said women are moving from passive beneficiaries to active drivers of credit demand. The number of women accessing formal credit grew at a CAGR of 9% between 2017 and 2025. Outstanding loans to women increased by 4.8 times during this period, while overall loans increased by 2.9 times. “The number of women accessing formal credit in India is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9% between 2017 and 2025, underscoring their increasing engagement with the financial system. Outstanding loans to women borrowers have increased by 4.8 times since 2017, while total loans have increased by 2.9 times, indicating a significantly faster expansion. In recent years, the development of digital infrastructure has facilitated easier onboarding, faster loan processing and better access to information,” said Bhavesh Jain, MD & CEO, TransUnion CIBIL.The share of women in retail credit creation to increase from 24% in 2022 to 27% in 2025, reflecting broad-based growth across all sectors. Their share in housing loan origination increased from 63% to 69% over the same period, indicating increased ownership of property and participation in financial decisions. Women’s share in consumption loans increased from 16% to 19%, while in gold loans it increased from 36% to 37%. The share of new-credit women borrowers in retail loans increases by 10 percentage points to 38% in 2025, reflecting expansion into previously unserved areas.Nidhi Chhibber, CEO, NITI Aayog, said, “At NITI Aayog, we believe that access to finance is a structural enabler of women’s economic participation. Through platforms such as the Women Entrepreneurship Forum and the Financing Women Collaborative, we are working to strengthen ecosystem coordination.”The report said increased access to credit is translating into greater economic participation. The number of women with active business-purpose loans has grown at a CAGR of 31% over the last three years, indicating a shift towards enterprise activity. Digitization has reduced turnaround time, with same-day approvals in consumption loans increasing from 34% in 2022 to 45% in 2025. About 19% of active microfinance borrowers now hold personal retail or commercial loans, suggesting a move toward more complex financial products.The report outlines measures to further expand participation. It said lenders should use digital transaction data such as UPI history for underwriting, especially for borrowers without collateral. It called for strengthening last mile digital capacity through collective and peer-to-peer networks to build trust. It recommended lifecycle-based financial products that link savings, credit and literacy, focusing on women under 35. It also says expansion should be supported by better risk segmentation and the use of alternative data to bring disadvantaged women into the system while maintaining portfolio quality.The report said the ecosystem should track progress metrics such as graduation rates and multi-product holdings rather than just focusing on disbursement volumes. It also called for the integration of non-financial support such as local and voice-enabled digital models and market linkages to help scale up women-led businesses.
