Women entrepreneurs in India are increasingly stepping into sectors once considered male-dominated, signalling a deeper structural shift in the country’s entrepreneurial landscape. Internal data released by Tide, a leading business management platform, shows strong growth in women-led businesses across skilled, service-driven and digitally enabled sectors, particularly from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

Women currently account for nearly 19 per cent of Tide’s India member base, with over 180,000 women entrepreneurs using the platform. A significant share of these business owners fall in the 27–31 age group, aligning with India’s largest working-age demographic. This cohort is showing a clear preference for formal, digital-first entrepreneurship as a stable and long-term livelihood option.

The trend is most visible outside metropolitan centres. Smaller towns such as Gulharia and Bisrakh in Uttar Pradesh, Harnul in Maharashtra, and Indore in Madhya Pradesh are witnessing a rise in women-led enterprises that are formalising through digital payments, accounting tools and structured business practices. While younger women are prominently represented, the data also points to broader participation across working-age women, reflecting a move towards financial independence and flexible work models in non-metro India.

Tide’s data highlights that women are expanding well beyond traditionally female-dominated sectors like tailoring and beauty services. Increasing numbers are now running businesses in mobile and computer repair, accounting and tax services, nursing and personal care, and small-scale manufacturing linked to sewing and repair equipment. This diversification reflects changing aspirations, growing digital familiarity and the breaking of long-standing occupational stereotypes.

According to Gurjodhpal Singh, CEO of Tide in India, women entrepreneurs today are entering skilled and technical roles with confidence and purpose. He noted that women in their late twenties and early thirties are using entrepreneurship to directly support household incomes while also generating local employment.

The momentum is closely linked to digital adoption. Tide recorded a 111 per cent increase in new women-led businesses between March and November 2025. Many of these entrepreneurs are solo operators balancing work with family responsibilities, while building credit visibility and access to formal financial products.

Tide said it will continue expanding digital tools, financial literacy initiatives and on-ground programmes to support women-owned businesses across smaller towns, aiming to enable 500,000 women entrepreneurs by 2027.