Data from financial empowerment platform Zavo shows that women account for a disproportionately larger share of repayments relative to their presence on the platform. Of the more than 3 million users on Zavo, about 948,000 or 31.6% are women. Yet they contribute 35% of the Rs505.7 crore repaid through the platform, amounting to Rs176.9 crore in cleared loan and credit card dues.
The trend points to stronger repayment behaviour among women borrowers, even though they represent roughly one-third of the user base.
Platform activity patterns also indicate higher financial engagement. More than 663,600 women remain active on the platform each month, checking repayment schedules and tracking credit activity. About 265,000 log in weekly, while 46,500 access the platform daily to monitor equated monthly instalments (EMIs) and outstanding dues.
Frequent monitoring of liabilities often correlates with improved repayment performance, as borrowers who track their commitments more closely are less likely to allow temporary cash-flow pressures to turn into prolonged delinquency.
“Women borrowers are often more disciplined when it comes to managing credit obligations,” said Kundan Shahi, Founder of Zavo.
He added that “as digital tools make credit more transparent and easier to monitor, we are seeing borrowers become more proactive about tracking EMIs and protecting their credit health. Women in particular tend to stay more engaged with their repayment schedules.”Repayment records on the platform reflect this pattern. Among 31,340 repayments recorded from women borrowers, 22,600 were completed on time. Another 6,800 were cleared within a delay of less than 30 days, while only 1,940 accounts slipped into default, suggesting that most delays were short-term rather than structural.
Demographic trends also show how women are entering India’s formal credit system.
The 26–35 age group forms the largest segment of female users on the platform, accounting for more than 41% of women borrowers. These are typically early- to mid-career professionals managing personal loans, credit cards and EMIs.
At the same time, younger women are beginning to establish credit histories earlier. Nearly 25% of female users fall in the 18–25 age bracket, indicating growing participation soon after entering the workforce.
The platform also shows increasing adoption of credit-building tools aimed at improving credit scores. More than 45,700 women users have opted for such tools to strengthen their long-term borrowing profiles.
The data reflects a broader shift in how lenders assess borrower reliability in India’s expanding digital credit market.
Traditional lending has often relied heavily on collateral ownership, long banking relationships and legacy credit histories — factors that have historically limited credit access for many women. Behavioural data generated on digital platforms is increasingly offering lenders a different lens, focusing on repayment patterns and financial engagement rather than only conventional indicators.