Standard Chartered and Dun & Bradstreet release latest Women Entrepreneurship Optimism Index

MUMBAI, India, Sept. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Standard Chartered Bank, in collaboration with Dun & Bradstreet, a global leader in business decisioning data and analytics, has released the second edition of the Women Entrepreneurship Optimism Index (WEOI) for the April–June 2025 quarter. The composite index rose to 72.86, an increase of 392 basis points from 68.93 reported in the October–December 2024 quarter, reflecting a strong and optimistic business environment for women entrepreneurs in India.

This quarterly Index report was unveiled by Rhea Kapoor, celebrity entrepreneur, Neha Singh, Co-Founder & MD of Tracxn Technologies, and Ms. Pooja Arambhan Tiwari, Chairperson of FICCI FLO Mumbai, along with senior functionaries of Standard Chartered Bank and Dun & Bradstreet at an event exclusively organised for women entrepreneurs. Held under the theme 'From Potential to Power: Building Skill Confidence in Women Entrepreneurs', the event focused on empowering women through skill development, inclusive practices, and leadership opportunities.

Launched as part of the Standard Chartered's Women's International Network (SC WIN) programme, the WEOI is based on a survey of more than 200 women entrepreneurs from diverse industries and cities and offers deep insights into their outlook, opportunities, and the challenges they face. The index measures confidence across five key dimensions: business performance, access to finance, skill development, digital adoption, and the support of government policies and networks providing a comprehensive view of the evolving landscape for women-led businesses.

Key findings of the survey are:

• Of the 170,000 startups currently operating in India, nearly 76,000 are led by women, collectively generating over 1.7 million jobs.
• In April–June 2025, women entrepreneurs in Tier 2 cities showed greater optimism about adopting digital technologies compared to their counterparts in Tier 1 cities, despite comparatively lower confidence in overall business performance.
• Women entrepreneurs in the Health Services sector recorded the highest optimism score of 77.46 for the reporting quarter, significantly above the overall index and an improvement since October–December 2024. Their confidence is especially strong in business performance and support channels, although financial confidence remains an area for growth.
• Businesswomen in the Consumer Goods and Capital Goods sectors experienced a decline in digital and financial confidence, with scores falling below the overall index and dropping from the previous quarter. This may point to ongoing challenges such as limited digital literacy, underuse of digital tools, and difficulties accessing formal financial products.
• Optimism around government financial support has increased notably, with 44% of women-owned businesses expecting improved access to loans, grants, and subsidies in April–June 2025 up from 35% in the prior quarter.

Releasing the WEOI Apr-Jun 2024 report, Aditya Mandloi, Managing Director & Head, Wealth and Retail Banking, India and South Asia, Standard Chartered Bank, said, "Empowering women entrepreneurs is key to unlocking India's full economic potential. The rise in optimism captured in this quarter's Women Entrepreneurship Optimism Index reflects the growing confidence and resilience of women-led businesses across the country. At Standard Chartered, we are committed to enabling their growth through innovative financial solutions and meaningful partnerships."

Avinash Gupta, Managing Director & CEO – India, Dun & Bradstreet, said, "At Dun & Bradstreet, we are committed to enabling economic growth through the power of data and analytics. The Women Entrepreneurship Optimism Index is part of our continued effort to spotlight key trends that shape the future of business in India. This quarter's findings reflect the growing confidence among women entrepreneurs, particularly in digital adoption and sectoral performance, reinforcing their vital role in building a more inclusive and resilient economy."

• To download the report for free, log on to the SC-WIN website: https://www.sc.com/in/business/sc-win/
• One can also download it from the Dun & Bradstreet India website: https://www.dnb.co.in/perspective/reports-and-insights

About Standard Chartered:

Standard Chartered Bank has been operating in India with a continuous presence of over 165 years making it one of the oldest foreign banks in the country. The Bank has a network of 100 branches across 42 cities. Key business segments include Corporate and Investment Banking and Wealth and Retail Banking. For more information, visit https://www.sc.com/in/

Globally, we are a leading international banking group, with a presence in 54 of the world's most dynamic markets. Our purpose is to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity, and our heritage and values are expressed in our brand promise, here for good.

Standard Chartered PLC is listed on the London and Hong Kong stock exchanges.

For more stories and expert opinions please visit Insights at sc.com. Follow Standard Chartered on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

About Dun & Bradstreet: 

Dun & Bradstreet, a leading global provider of business decisioning data and analytics, enables companies around the world to improve their business performance. Dun & Bradstreet's Data Cloud fuels solutions and delivers insights that empower customers to accelerate revenue, lower cost, mitigate risk and transform their businesses. Since 1841, companies of every size have relied on Dun & Bradstreet to help them manage risk and reveal opportunity. Dun & Bradstreet India is also proud to be Great Place to Work^® Certified (2025-26), a recognition of its commitment to fostering a high-trust, high-performance workplace culture. For more information on Dun & Bradstreet, please visit www.dnb.com. 

Dun & Bradstreet Information Services India Private Limited is headquartered in Mumbai and provides clients with data-driven products and technology-driven platforms to help them take faster and more accurate decisions across finance, risk, compliance, information technology and marketing. Working towards Government of India's vision of creating an Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) by supporting the Make in India initiative, Dun & Bradstreet India has a special focus on helping entrepreneurs enhance their visibility, increase their credibility, expand access to global markets, and identify potential customers & suppliers, while managing risk and opportunity. 

Visit www.dnb.co.in for more information. Click here for all Dun & Bradstreet India press releases. 

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