Women’s Financial Inclusion in India: A Catalyst for Sustainable Economic Growth

This study examines the impact of financial inclusion on women in India through a quantitative analysis, mostly utilizing secondary data from 2021 to 2024. The Financial Inclusion Index (FI-Index), which increased from 53.9 in 2021 to 64.2 in 2024, functions as the primary statistic of the study, encompassing three overarching parameters: Access, Usage, and Quality. The survey indicates a considerable trend towards closing the gender gap in financial access, evidenced by substantial increases in bank account ownership among women relative to men. For instance, female account ownership surged significantly from 26.49% in 2011 to a slim majority of 77.55% by 2021, exceeding male ownership at 77.51%. These findings highlight the essential importance of targeted financial inclusion policies in advancing gender equality and indicate that such initiatives are vital for harnessing women’s economic potential, hence promoting wider societal and economic advantages.