Towards Financial Independence

While gold and FDs were once the default option, today's women are exploring MFs, equities, and other financial products

- ANAGH PAL

OLD AND BANK fixed deposits were once their investments of choice, but women these days are increasingly turning to equities, mutual funds, and other goal-based financial products to generate higher returns.

For Ahmedabad resident Zindagi Dholakia, investing means a mix of three elements. She does her own research to understand what she's getting into, seeks expert advice when unsure about something and sometimes goes by old-fashioned intuition—if something feels right, she buys it; or else, she avoids it.

Dholakia, 51, is part an increasing tribe of women who are more conscious than ever about the need to invest for the future and secure their financial lives rather than depend on husband or father.

Once anchored to gold and fixed deposits (FDs), they are blending the safety provided by those instruments with ambition, moving steadily into equities, mutual funds (MFs) and long-term wealth products.

“My investment goals are mainly long-term wealth building. Although I don’t fall in the high-risk taker category, I don’t mind grabbing sensible and workable opportunities,” says Dholakia.

According to Computer Age Management Services, or CAMS, women’s participation in equity investments surged by 33% in 2023 alone, reaching ₹1.3 lakh crore, with 76% of woman investors having exposure to equities.

More strikingly, says the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), women’s assets under management (AUM) more than doubled from ₹4.59 lakh crore in March 2019 to ₹11.25 lakh crore in March 2024, with women accounting for 33% of mutual fund AUM, a sizeable shift from historical patterns.

More women today are realising that managing money isn't about control by others; it's about taking control of their own lives.