International Labour Organization (ILO) and National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) release policy brief on women’s digital financial inclusion as India’s platform workforce to hit 23.5 million by 2029-30

Key facts

• On 24 August 2026, ILO and NCAER released a was brief titled “Advancing Women’s Digital Financial Inclusion in the Platform Economy”.
• NITI Aayog estimates India’s platform workforce could rise from 12 million in 2024-25 to 23.5 million by 2029-30.
• The policy brief identified limited access to formal financial services, gaps in digital literacy, safety concerns and restrictive social norms as constraints on women’s platform work participation.
• Women need access to start-up capital, short-term credit, insurance, savings and financial planning tools throughout their platform-work journey.
• The brief highlighted cashflow-based lending as a key inclusion measure because women are less likely to own land or property for collateral.
• Digital records of platform payments can provide lenders with verifiable evidence of income and repayment capacity.
• The brief recommends using India’s Digital Public Infrastructure, including the Account Aggregator framework, to make financial data portable.
• Platforms can partner with lenders to offer loans, savings and insurance through their applications.
• Integrating financial DPI with e-Shram records could expand access if safeguards against algorithmic bias are built in.
• Device ownership remains a barrier, as women’s digital access is often mediated through family members.