Female entrepreneurs have emerged as the most active users of digital financial tools among all surveyed cohorts, with 84% using digital payment tools according to DBS Bank India's latest Women and Finance study. The second edition of The Digital Opportunity: Access, Adoption and Trust report, released ahead of World MSME Day 2026, draws insights from 1,342 women across North, South, East and West India, covering female entrepreneurs, High-Net-Worth women and rural women earners. UPI usage reached 72% among female entrepreneurs, 77% among HNW women and 54% among rural women earners, underscoring the growing ubiquity of India's digital payments infrastructure. As per The Economic Times, digital tools are becoming increasingly integral to business management, supporting everything from payments, credit and payroll to customer acquisition and future planning.
Beyond payment solutions, the study revealed significant adoption rates across financial services. 38% of female entrepreneurs use loan and credit platforms, while 29% use brokerage platforms. Among HNW women surveyed, 28% are actively using brokerage platforms for their investments, reflecting growing comfort and proficiency in using digital investment tools. Credit card usage is gaining momentum, with 50% of female entrepreneurs reporting frequent use of personal credit cards, including 19% who use them daily and 31% who use them a few times a week. Among HNW women, credit cards are used by 53% of respondents, making them the second most-used payment method after UPI. According to The Economic Times, this growing adoption demonstrates how digital tools are becoming essential for business management across various financial services.
Travel-related rewards have emerged as the most preferred credit card benefit among both female entrepreneurs and HNW women, cited by 65% of respondents. The preference for travel-related rewards is particularly pronounced among younger respondents, rising to 70% among HNW women aged 25–30 years and 68% among female entrepreneurs aged 26–35 years. This focus on travel benefits reflects the growing importance of mobility and connectivity in business operations, with entrepreneurs increasingly seeking solutions that enhance operational efficiency and support their growth ambitions. As per The Economic Times, this growing adoption demonstrates how digital tools are becoming essential for business management across various financial services.
Spending patterns among female entrepreneurs reveal strategic focus on growth and operational efficiency. According to the study, 65% spend on staff salaries and contractor payments, 53% on marketing, branding, content creation and customer acquisition, and 37% on software, technology platforms and digital tools. As reported by The Economic Times, this spending pattern shows female entrepreneurs focusing on "people, growth and technology," with digital tools becoming increasingly integral to business management. The findings highlight an encouraging shift in how women are engaging with their finances, with entrepreneurs increasingly seeking solutions that enhance operational efficiency and support their growth ambitions.
For rural women earners, expenditure is largely directed towards day-to-day business operations, with 82% reporting spending on raw materials, 47% on rent and 35% on transportation to market. Among the HNW women surveyed, spending patterns are more diversified across both essential and discretionary categories, led by groceries and daily essentials (50%), utility bills (32%), healthcare expenses (28%), and travel and holidays (27%). According to The Economic Times, this spending pattern shows female entrepreneurs focusing on "people, growth and technology," with digital tools becoming increasingly integral to business management across different income segments.
Despite growing adoption, security concerns continue to influence how women use digital financial services. For urban women, data privacy and security are among the biggest factors affecting digital finance usage, with 62% of female entrepreneurs and 60% of HNW women considering these issues important. Complex user interfaces also affect usage, according to 46% of female entrepreneurs and 45% of HNW women surveyed. Digital fraud awareness is another important factor, with 46% of female entrepreneurs, 35% of HNW women and 13% of rural women earners reporting experiencing digital fraud or financial scams either in the past year or earlier. As per The Economic Times, the next phase of financial inclusion will depend not only on access to digital tools but also on trust, financial awareness and simpler platforms.
