DBS Bank India has released the latest report from its ‘Women and Finance’ series, titled ‘Money Matters: Mindsets, Financial Agency and Behaviour Across Life and Career Stages’, with Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP (DTTI LLP) as the research partner.
The report draws on responses from 1,342 women surveyed across South (36%), North (23%), East (14%) and West (27%) India, reflecting the views of female entrepreneurs, High Net Worth (HNW) women and rural women earners.
The report explores their autonomy in financial decision making, key drivers and life goals, preferences for engaging with banks and digital financial apps, as well as their perspectives on career breaks, perceived work–life balance, retirement planning and long term financial preparedness. 65% of female entrepreneurs and 50% of HNW women surveyed in Coimbatore make financial decisions independently: DBS Bank India’s ‘Women and Finance’ study Data from the survey suggests that financial decision making increasingly sits with women themselves.
Among the female entrepreneurs surveyed, 69% identify as primary decision makers in financial matters, compared to 60% among rural women earners and 58% among HNW women.
Among those surveyed in South India, female entrepreneurs report a higher share of women making financial decisions independently compared with HNW women.
In Bengaluru, 70% of female entrepreneurs make financial decisions independently, followed by Chennai at 69% and Coimbatore at 65%.
Among HNW women surveyed, Chennai records the highest share of women making financial decisions independently at 65%, followed by Bengaluru at 58% and Coimbatore at 50% Global connectivity emerges as a key factor for many urban Indian women when selecting a banking partner.
The preference is strongest among female entrepreneurs, with 89% citing a bank’s international network as influencing their decision. This trend is mirrored among HNW women, 84% of whom view an institution’s global footprint as an important factor in their choice.
Among women surveyed in the South, an institution’s global footprint plays an important role when selecting a banking partner.
Among female entrepreneurs, Hyderabad stands out, with 45% of respondents indicating that this strongly influences their selection of a banking partner.
This preference is even more pronounced among HNW women. In Coimbatore, all respondents from this cohort indicated that a bank’s global footprint influences their decision, with a majority (60%) stating that it has a strong influence.
Bengaluru shows a similar pattern, with 98% of respondents saying that a bank’s global presence affects their choice, and 43% describing this influence as strong.
Divyesh Dalal, Managing Director and Country Head, Global Transaction Services, Corporate Banking, Financial Institutions and SMEs, DBS Bank India, said, “Insights from the latest report in our ‘Women and Finance’ study highlight the growing importance female entrepreneurs place on institutional credibility and global connectivity when choosing a banking partner.
This reflects the value they place on trusted partners that can support crossborder ambitions, offer access to global markets and connect them to broader ecosystems.
