For women entrepreneurs in India, the challenge isn’t always finding a business opportunity — it is finding the capital to act on it. Nearly 87 percent of women entrepreneurs rely on self-financing, while a 35 percent gender credit gap persists.

Surjeet Saggu knows what that gap can mean for a growing business. When she started her herbal cosmetics business in 2020, she simply wanted to build something of her own after moving to Delhi from Murad Nagar. Helping with marketing at her sister’s cosmetics business earlier set her up with business experience to carry into her own entrepreneurial journey.

For Surjeet, entrepreneurship has always been about looking ahead rather than dwelling on obstacles. “I never listened to society,” she says. “I always thought that I must do what I want to do, what I like.”

She joined forces with a close friend who brought deeper market knowledge and focused on the market while Surjeet set up the office — and SK Heart Cosmo Group was born. Today, the herbal beauty and personal care business employs 15 to 16 people in its office in the Mongolpuri Industrial Area of West Delhi, with four managers working on the field, and supplies products through a growing distributor network.

Surjeet keeps a close eye on what the market wants. When distributors ask for a new product, she researches the demand, considers the costs, and assesses whether there is an opportunity before developing it. Today, the business is still based out of a rented facility, but Surjeet has her sights set on building one of her own.

While launching a new business is never easy, launching one in the aftermath of the pandemic with disrupted markets across the country proved to be an even greater challenge. Surjeet used that time to redesign product packaging, strengthen relationships with distributors, and focus on understanding what customers wanted next. They deliberately gave distributors more flexibility with payments when businesses were adversely affected, believing that strong relationships would outlast short-term financial pressures. Years later, many of those distributors continue to work with them because of the trust they built during that difficult period.

“People who buy from us tell us what products they want,” Surjeet explains. “We do our research, understand the market, look at the costs, and then develop new products.” But like many entrepreneurs, growth depends on having access to capital when opportunities arise.

For Surjeet, one source of that capital was FlexiLoans, an MSME-focused digital lending platform backed by Accion Digital Transformation. FlexiLoans uses technology and alternative data to assess businesses and provide fast, flexible financing to small enterprises, including those that may have limited access to traditional credit.

Surjeet heard about FlexiLoans when she first began her own business and approached them for the funding she required. “The funding helped me do what I couldn’t do before,” she says. “I added more products. That’s how growth happened.” She describes her overall experience with FlexiLoans positively and goes on to speak candidly about one aspect of the lending process that she believes deserves greater attention. Her story highlights a broader conversation about women’s entrepreneurship.

Surjeet articulates her view that women entrepreneurs with strong credit histories should be assessed on their own financial credentials and that the practice of requiring a male member of the family to be a signatory or guarantor should be reassessed. In her view, lending decisions should increasingly reflect the entrepreneur’s own creditworthiness and track record, for both men and women.

“When a woman can run a business, she can do everything,” she says. “All I am saying is that lending institutions should consider women’s participation.” As she expands product range, plans for her own manufacturing facility, and charts a clear vision for the future, Surjeet’s journey is a reminder that inclusive finance doesn’t end with providing capital. It involves the financial services ecosystem recognizing the entrepreneur, supporting ambition, acting on feedback, and championing businesses to grow on their own terms.