International Women’s Day 2025: 80% of Women Entrepreneurs in India Struggle with Cross-Border Trade—What Needs to Change?

A new survey by Aspire For Her highlights the growing ambitions of women entrepreneurs in cross-border trade while also identifying key areas where support can help accelerate their global expansion. The data shows that 80% of women-led businesses encounter difficulties with international payments, while 60% struggle with complex regulatory compliance. Despite their increasing role in the economy, women-led enterprises constitute just 15.4% of India’s 58.5 million businesses, with 343 million working-age Indian women still outside the formal, paid workforce.

The survey highlights four major challenges that women entrepreneurs face when expanding their businesses internationally-

Challenges with International Payments: 80% of women entrepreneurs struggle with cross-border payments due to high fees, banking complexities, and fluctuating exchange rates, leading to cash flow issues
Regulatory & Compliance Complexities: 60% of women entrepreneurs struggle with export laws, trade regulations, and complex compliance requirements. Limited expert guidance on documentation, taxation, and licenses often delays or prevents global market entry
Limited Access to Financial Resources: Many women entrepreneurs face funding shortages and payment delays, restricting their ability to scale globally. Due to challenges in securing business loans, trade credit, and investments, a significant number of women-led businesses struggle to expand.
Supply Chain & Logistics Issues: Women entrepreneurs face major challenges in cross-border trade due to high shipping costs, customs delays, and unreliable logistics partners. These inefficiencies increase expenses and hinder their ability to meet global demand and expand

“Women entrepreneurs are driving innovation and creating high-impact businesses, yet they continue to encounter structural barriers in global expansion. Removing these obstacles—whether in financial accessibility, regulatory complexities, or international market connections—can be transformative. The key is to build an ecosystem that enables women-led businesses to scale beyond borders and make a lasting contribution to the global economy,” said Madhura DasGupta Sinha, Founder and CEO, Aspire for Her.

“Building on the remarkable success of SheExports Season 1, where we empowered over 120 women entrepreneurs across 18 states and witnessed 17% of women leaders expanding globally, Payoneer is proud to continue supporting women-led SMBs in their global expansion journey. Our commitment goes beyond simplifying cross-border payments – we’re dedicated to creating a robust ecosystem that transforms local excellence into global success. Through SheExports Season 2, we aim to address key international trade challenges by providing expert guidance, locally hosted workshops, and the tools women entrepreneurs need to thrive in the digital global economy.”said Gaurav Shisodia, Vice President, Payoneer India.