Digital Financial Inclusion of Women in MSMEs

G20 AND INDIA

Souvik Dutta‚ Srishti Pal‚ Eshana Mukherjee‚ Arpita Mukherjee

India will take over the G20 Presidency in the year 2023, and digital financial inclusion for vulnerable groups like women is a key topic for discussions in the G20. Several initiatives are taken by the Indian government and organisations like NABARD, to promote digital financial inclusion for women. Yet, there are hardly any survey-based studies on where the country stands, its achievements and gaps in digital financial inclusion. This report aims to fill the lacuna. The report, through a primary survey of women engaged in the MSME sector across select Indian states, identifies the status and barriers to digital financial inclusion. It aims to address the gaps on advancing women’s access, ownership, and participation in the digital economy and suggest areas where there is scope for further research. It makes policy recommendations on reform requirements and suggests interventions needed to advance India’s strategies and options in the G20 framework for digital financial inclusion. This report, based on a primary survey and secondary data analysis, will be beneficial for readers working on financial, digital and MSME sectors. It will help India to have the right policies to attain the UN Sustainable Development Goals.