Tripura sees rising bank credit growth, but women entrepreneurs face inconsistent financial support. Experts urge stronger policy intervention, improved credit share, and inclusive lending reforms to ensure sustainable women-led enterprise development and economic growth across the state.
While the steady rise in bank credit to women entrepreneurs in Tripura presents a positive picture, a closer analysis of the figures also exposes serious concerns over stagnation, inconsistency and inadequate priority in women-led enterprise financing. Experts have observed that despite growth in absolute advances, the proportionate support to women entrepreneurs has not improved in line with the expansion of total banking advances, calling for urgent corrective policy measures.
According to available banking data published by State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) total advances in the state have grown sharply from Rs.7,827.83 crore in 2015 to Rs.23,834.21 crore in 2025, registering a substantial increase over the decade. During the same period, advances to women entrepreneurs increased from Rs.1,381.78 crore to Rs.4,403.93 crore. While this appears encouraging, the share of women entrepreneurship credit in total advances has shown disturbing fluctuations rather than sustained progress.
The share of advances to women entrepreneurs in total advances stood at 17.65 percent in 2015 and rose to a peak of 21.76 percent in 2018. However, instead of maintaining this momentum, the ratio declined over the following years, slipping to only 14.39 percent in 2024 before recovering modestly to 18.48 percent in 2025. Economists argue that such volatility indicates weak institutional commitment rather than a structured growth strategy.
Similarly, advances to women entrepreneurs as a percentage of Adjusted Net Bank Credit (ANBC) rose from 19 percent in 2015 to a notable 28 percent in 2018, but then gradually declined to 16 percent in 2024 before improving to 20 percent in 2025. Analysts have pointed out that when total advances have nearly tripled over the decade, women entrepreneurship credit should have shown stronger proportional growth instead of losing share.
A particularly concerning trend is visible during 2022 to 2024, when credit to women entrepreneurs declined from Rs.3,751.28 crore to Rs.3,179.55 crore despite growth in overall advances from Rs.19,843.03 crore to Rs.22,102.54 crore. This mismatch suggests that women-led enterprises may not be receiving adequate priority under the expanding credit ecosystem.
Development observers have argued that access to finance for women entrepreneurs cannot remain dependent on isolated schemes or symbolic targets. There is need for dedicated credit planning, sector-specific support, easier collateral norms, market linkage, and stronger monitoring under priority sector lending.
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The improvement in 2025, where women entrepreneurs’ advances reached Rs.4,403.93 crore, is seen as a positive correction, but experts caution that one-year recovery should not overshadow the long-term structural gaps. They stress that women entrepreneurship is not merely a welfare concern but an economic growth driver capable of boosting employment, household incomes and inclusive development in Tripura.
Kiran Bhowmik, PhD Scholar in the Department of Economics in Tripura University said in his reply that the banking expansion alone is not enough unless women receive a rising and protected share of credit. Policymakers and financial institutions may need to transform the present approach from incremental lending to a focused women enterprise development mission for meaningful and sustained impact.
