Over 40% women-owned micro businesses lack emergency savings: MSC report

A significant number of women-owned micro businesses in India lack savings for financial emergencies, making them highly vulnerable to economic shocks, said a report.

The report titled 'Decoding the Financial Health of Women-Owned Micro-Businesses (wMB) in India' was prepared by MicroSave Consulting (MSC) in collaboration with Sa-Dhan and supported by JPMorgan Chase.

The research covers six regions - Delhi-NCR, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu - providing data-driven insights and calls for targeted interventions.

Data was collected through 1,460 computer-assisted personal interviews, key informant interviews with financial institutions and enterprise support organisations, and comprehensive desk research.

Interviews with 150 women-owned micro businesses across the six regions revealed insights into their financial decision-making processes, challenges and motivations.

The report indicated that 45 per cent of women entrepreneurs lack savings for financial