India is witnessing a transformative shift in entrepreneurship, with a growing number of women from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities entering sectors traditionally dominated by men. Insights from Tide, the UK-based business management platform, reveal a significant rise in women-led businesses across skill-based, service-oriented, and digitally enabled sectors, highlighting the evolving role of women in India’s formal economy.
According to Tide’s internal data, women between the ages of 27 and 31 constitute a major share of new business owners on its platform. With over 180,000 women entrepreneurs, they now represent 18.7% of Tide’s India member base. This cohort mirrors India’s largest demographic segment and reflects a broader national trend of women formalizing businesses and leveraging digital tools to scale income, gain financial independence, and establish long-term livelihoods.
Growth Beyond Metros
The surge in women-led businesses is particularly evident outside metropolitan cities. Across towns such as Gulharia (Uttar Pradesh), Harnul (Maharashtra), Bisrakh (Uttar Pradesh), and Indore (Madhya Pradesh), women are increasingly formalizing skill-based and service-led enterprises through digital platforms. While young women in their late twenties and early thirties dominate these initiatives, the trend spans working-age women across demographics, indicating a structural shift toward entrepreneurship as a sustainable career path in non-metro India.
Expanding Into Non-Traditional Sectors
Tide’s data highlights a notable increase in women entering sectors once considered male-dominated, moving beyond conventional industries such as tailoring and beauty services. Key growth areas include:
• Mobile, tablets, and computer repair, particularly in West Bengal and urban clusters of Tier 2 cities
• Accounting and tax services, with young women taking up structured financial and compliance-led businesses
• Nursing and personal care services, emerging strongly in Madhya Pradesh
• Micro-manufacturing and sewing machine-based enterprises, formalizing through digital payments and accounting solutions
This expansion demonstrates that women are not only challenging occupational stereotypes but also actively adopting digital tools to improve business operations and scale their reach.
Empowering Women Through Entrepreneurship
Gurjodhpal Singh, CEO of Tide India, said, “What’s most inspiring is how women are breaking stereotypes — whether repairing devices, managing accounting services, or running nursing-led services. This shift represents a generational transition. Women in their late twenties and early thirties enter entrepreneurship with stronger digital familiarity and a clear desire for self-determined growth. For many, this phase has become the launchpad for businesses that contribute directly to household incomes and local employment.”
Digital Adoption Driving Formalisation
Tide’s data highlights a 111% increase in new women-led businesses between March and November 2025, underlining the growing trend of formalization and structured digital operations. Many women-run businesses are solo ventures managed alongside family responsibilities, caregiving, or flexible work arrangements. Digital adoption not only improves operational efficiency but also strengthens credit visibility, enabling access to financial products essential for growth — historically a challenge for women microentrepreneurs in India.
Tide Products Supporting Women Entrepreneurs
Women entrepreneurs on Tide actively leverage digital solutions to streamline and grow their businesses. The top three tools include:

1. Debit Services – for secure day-to-day business transactions and real-time expense tracking.
2. Bill Payments – to manage vendor payments, recurring costs, and utility bills efficiently.
3. QR Code Payments – enabling instant, cashless transactions for microbusinesses, from sewing shops to repair desks.
   These tools are helping women establish more transparent, scalable, and sustainable business models, improving visibility and fostering confidence among investors, suppliers, and customers.
   Looking Ahead: Tide’s Commitment to Women Entrepreneurs
   Tide aims to support 500,000 women entrepreneurs across India’s Tier 2, 3, 4, and 5 cities by 2027. Through its digital platform, financial education initiatives, and on-ground programs, Tide is committed to empowering women to formalize businesses, scale operations, and create meaningful economic impact in their communities.
   About Tide
   Launched in 2017, Tide is a leading business management platform in the UK and India, helping SMEs save time and resources while streamlining operations through business accounts, invoicing, accounting, and connected administrative solutions. Tide has over 1,000,000 SME members in India and operates in Germany and France, with a global workforce of more than 2,500. Recognized as a Great Place to Work for three consecutive years, Tide is backed by leading investors including Anthemis, Apax Digital Funds, Augmentum Fintech, Creandum, Salica Investments, Latitude, LocalGlobe, SBI Group, Speedinvest, and TPG.