From money-shy to money-smart, it’s a woman’s day

Gupta shares that at Edelweiss, about 35% of the client base today constitutes women, despite no targeted communication for the gender. “These are some of the best numbers in the industry,” she says.

Nithin Kamath, co-founder of investing platform Zerodha, has revealed that ten years back, only 2-3% of their customers were women, a number that now stands around 30%. Women’s systemic investment plan (SIP) portfolios are an even stronger story.

As per latest AMFI data available, their SIP assets under management grew by 319.3% in five years to 2024, and today women account for nearly a third of all SIP assets.

Moreover, their average SIP ticket sizes are 22% higher than men’s, and their lump-sum investments 45% bigger.
The share of equity in women’s portfolios rose from 43.3% to 63.7%, and passive gold schemes jumped from 5.2% to 24.9% in the same period.

As of March 2025, 25.91% mutual fund investors were women, compared to 24.2% in March 2024. Of the 53.13 crore Jan Dhan Yojana bank accounts opened so far, 29.56 crore belong to women.

Clearly, as they grow more financially independent, women are also becoming more money-savvy. Says Arundhati Bhattacharya, president & CEO of Salesforce (South Asia), and former SBI chairperson: “These numbers are genuinely exciting. When I joined the State Bank of India decades ago, the idea of women as serious investors was barely a conversation. Seeing this growth now, especially from smaller towns, is deeply inspiring.” More than the numbers, it is the shift in intent that excites her. “Women are beginning to understand that money gives you a voice, not just at work, but at home too.”

Priti Rathi Gupta, founder of Lxme, an online financial platform for women, shares: “Today, Lxme has over 1 million women users across India. But it is the depth of engagement that is revelatory. Women are not just signing up, they are investing, learning, referring friends and family, and coming back.”

Gupta of Edelweiss calls the numbers ‘fantastic’, adding that they will only grow. “Financial independence is becoming important even in tier-2 or -3 towns. The good news is, women are starting their financial journeys earlier,” she says.

Staying the course

Slow and steady is how most women proceed on their investment journeys. And, experts say this is what wins them the game. “Women are far more rational and disciplined investors than the industry has historically given them credit for. Regarding risk, women tend to start cautiously, preferring low- to moderate-risk products initially. But once they build financial confidence, they are very willing to move up the risk curve. It’s not risk aversion, it’s risk awareness, which is a healthier approach to investing.

Women are also committed long-term investors and rarely panic-sell during market corrections,” says Rathi Gupta of Lxme, adding, “The Lxme-EY Report highlights that women’s portfolios, while starting smaller, often outperform over a five-year horizon simply because of this discipline and low churn.”

Sreepriya NS, CEO, Entrust Family Office, adds a word of advice: “What distinguishes many women investors is their patience and process-orientation, which often leads to steadier outcomes over time. To women who are beginning or expanding their investment journey, my core advice is to start with clarity of purpose, build a diversified blueprint and stay committed to long-term goals.”

Bhattacharya feels women do not need to understand everything on day one. “Set up a small SIP, watch how it moves, try a few different instruments. Get comfortable with mutual funds, and never put money into something where you only know the upside,” she advises.

Gupta of Edelweiss cautions women not to outsource and not fear making mistakes. She tells them to pick regulated, simple products to start their journey. “Women tend to hang out longer in their investments, which is a good virtue for an investor.”

A tip for homemakers

Not earning your own money should not deter women from investing. “Homemakers should have a personal financial corpus as well. Financial independence is not just an economic concept, it’s an emotional anchor,” says Sreepriya of Entrust.
Gupta of Edelweiss feels financial literacy is not contingent on whether one earns or not, but a life skill. “Even if you are not earning, you can get involved in the family financial planning. Money is used for goals and goals are set by the household. We live in extremely uncertain times so it’s important that women know the assets and liabilities of the family. And more financially literate women will also lead to more financially literate children,” she adds.

Bhattacharya of Salesforce also stresses on a personal fund. “Have something that is yours — beyond the family fund and the children’s education corpus. And do not outsource your financial decisions entirely; you must have an opinion about where the money goes.”

Rathi Gupta of Lxme tells women to invest for themselves first. “Securing your own financial future is not selfish; it is essential. Financial confidence is not a prerequisite to investing; it’s the outcome of it.”

Prudence beyond metros

As per a Niti Aayog report titled ‘Women’s Role in India’s Financial Growth Story’, of the total loans taken by women in semi-urban and rural areas, 65% were for business. Since 2019, women’s share in total business loan origination has increased by 14%, with women accounting for 35% of business borrowers by December 2024.

Rathi Gupta of Lxme says women in Tier 2 and 3 cities are hungry for financial guidance but have limited access to trustworthy platforms. “The aspiration to invest is not urban, it’s universal. The infrastructure to support it just needs to reach further,” she says.

Ananya Birla, founder & chairperson of Svatantra Microfin, a microfinance platform for rural women, says despite expansions in banking and government schemes, women in rural and semi-urban areas continue to face low access to affordable credit due to limited financial literacy, thin credit histories, and a significant asset ownership gap. Which is why she created Svatantra. “Over the past decade, Svatantra’s borrower base has expanded to more than 7 million women across 20 states in India.

As of December 2025, AUM stands at over Rs 17,500 crore and over 95% of disbursals at the platform are directed toward income-generation rather than consumption,” she says, adding that repeat borrowers are graduating to larger ticket sizes, transitioning from informal vending to fixed retail establishments or diversifying into multiple income streams. “As businesses stabilise, demand is expanding toward complementary products such as micro-housing finance for home construction or improvement — reflecting asset creation alongside income growth.” She adds that data consistently indicate that women borrowers demonstrate strong repayment discipline, prudent fund utilisation and high reinvestment rates into household welfare and children’s education.

Pink funds, anyone?

So do we need financial products tailored for women? “In practice, women don’t necessarily need separate asset classes. What they benefit from most is education, accessibility, clarity, and purpose-driven frameworks tailored to life transitions. That said, there is merit in creating tools that simplify investing for women, particularly ones that prioritise entry-level financial planning, goal-based planning, and long-term confidence building,” says Sreepriya of Entrust.

“We have enough tools and products out there. What we need is more guidelines on how to use them, and speak in a language that women understand. We don’t need more pressure cookers and kadhais. We need more cookbooks,” adds Gupta of Edelweiss.