PhonePe Wealth Report: How Women Are Leading Mutual Fund Investments

March 7 2025:This International Women's Day, PhonePe Wealth highlights the steady rise in women's participation in Mutual Funds on its platform, along with their growing commitment and contribution amounts. PhonePe Wealth analyzed the investment patterns of 1 Lakh women investors from January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2024, and the data highlights that women are making strategic and substantial investments, taking steps toward securing their financial future.

The data for the period mentioned above reveals that the average Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) contribution from female investors is approximately 22% higher than that of male investors. In comparison, their average lump sum investments surpass those of men by approximately 45%. This data provides a different perspective on women's approach to financial markets and risk.

"We acknowledge the increasing participation of women investors and their evolving role in the financial landscape," said Nilesh D Naik, Head of Investment Products, Share. Market (PhonePe Wealth). He added, “Our data shows that women investors are participating and actively investing. Today, we believe that women investors are financially aware and independent, diversifying their portfolios, and investing with a long-term vision and the notion of women being financially conservative is a thing of the past.”

Key insights from a survey of 1,00,000 women investors of PhonePe Wealth Mutual Funds for the duration January 1,  2024 – December 31,  2024:

• 90% of women investors begin with Systematic Investment Plans, demonstrating a preference for disciplined, long-term investing.
• Women investors maintain an average SIP transaction value of ₹1300, approximately 22% higher than men.
• Women exceed the average lump sum investment by approximately 45% as compared to male investors.
• Women are playing a pivotal role in driving financial inclusion, with a prominent share from Maharashtra (20%), Karnataka (12%), and Uttar Pradesh (9%) leading the growth.
• Approximately 72% of women investors come from B30 (Beyond Top 30) cities, highlighting the increasing reach of Mutual Funds beyond major metros. Cities like Varanasi, Ranchi, Dehradun, Guwahati, and Vadodara are seeing increasing participation from women investors, highlighting their involvement in wealth creation.
• Nearly 50% of women investors hold contra/value funds. Other popular investment categories are flexi-cap, mid-cap, small-cap, and thematic funds. This diverse fund selection reflects their understanding of portfolio diversification, strategic investing, and calculated risk-taking.
• 74% of women investors are 35 years or younger, with the largest segment (29%) aged 26-30 years.
• Women largely invest between 9 AM and 4 PM, with 44% of transactions occurring during this window.

The evolving investment behavior of women is reshaping the financial industry, making it essential to prioritize their needs. PhonePe Wealth supports this by providing resources and tools to help investors manage their investments and plan for the future