65% of Indian women begin credit journey before 30; 75% feel confident taking their first loan with 40% developing responsible financial habits, finds mPokket survey

• The survey of 10K women in India  reveals a generational shift in financial independence, with nearly 40% of women borrowers self-employed or running their own businesses.

NEW DELHI: A new survey by mPokket, one of India's leading digital lending platforms, reveals that Indian women are not just participating in formal credit systems, they are redefining what responsible borrowing looks like.

Conducted across 10,000 women in India, the survey captures a generation in motion.

• More than 65% of respondents took their first loan before the age of 30
• Nearly 79% believe women today are more financially independent than the generation before them, a perception backed by concrete shifts in workforce participation and digital financial access.
• While 48.6% are salaried employees, close to 40% are self-employed, run small businesses, or work independently.
• Credit access, historically concentrated among formally employed professionals, is now reaching women across India's micro-economy - gig workers, entrepreneurs, and independent service providers among them.
• Women's borrowing is purposeful, need-driven, and oriented toward security and advancement. When asked their primary motivation, 41.6% cited emergencies, 20.8% said supporting family, and 15.7% borrowed for education or upskilling.
• Nearly 40% save monthly, 28.4% use autopay for EMIs, and over 25% maintain a monthly budget.
• When asked what financial health means to them, 45.7% said paying EMIs on time, ranking reliability above wealth accumulation or asset ownership.
• 8% of respondents said they felt very confident when taking their first loan, a significant departure from the hesitancy that once characterised women's entry into formal credit.

The survey covered women majority falling under the age of 29, a cohort possibly entering formal credit for the first time. Their habits and expectations will define how India's credit culture evolves over the next decade.

Commenting on this shift, Gaurav Jalan, CEO & Founder, mPokket, said, “What this data shows us is a structural change, not a trend. It is not just about borrowing, it is about agency. While there is still a tendency to view women as cautious or reluctant participants in the financial ecosystem, this survey puts that assumption to rest. Women are confident, they borrow with clear purpose, and they follow through. For us, that is exactly the kind of borrower and the kind of financial independence we are building for. The responsibility for platforms like ours is to build products that are accessible, transparent, and designed for such a cohort that is responsible and operates with foresightedness”.  

About mPokket

mPokket Financial Services Pvt. Ltd. is a leading FinTech company and RBI- registered NBFC dedicated to enhancing financial inclusion in India. Over the course of 9 years, mPokket has empowered young working professionals, self- employed individuals, businesses and gig workers, by offering instant loans upto 2L . Recognized with prestigious accolades like Fintech of the Year by Business World (FY23 & FY’24), mPokket leverages advanced AI-driven credit models to provide accessible, reliable, and innovative credit solutions, fostering growth and delivering exceptional customer experiences.