India Budget 2026: Schemes on cards to give women more financial muscle

India Budget: Women-centric schemes with stronger credit and insurance linkages through Jan Dhan accounts may be announced in the Union budget for FY27, as the government aims for financial inclusion with universal access and a more robust grievance redressal framework, including insurance claims, said people familiar with the matter.

Customised credit cards, loan products and women-focused insurance plans may be key announcements as the government is looking to build on the measures unveiled in the FY26 budget, including the Grameen Credit Score and credit support for first-time entrepreneurs, they said.

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"Measures to support the credit requirements of rural enterprises and self-help groups (SHGs) are also being actively considered," said an official.

Niti Aayog Evaluating PMJDY

The official, who did not wish to be identified, added that the government is also weighing suggestions to increase coverage under the Jan Suraksha schemes and offer options to policyholders to opt for increased insurance protection.

The Niti Aayog is evaluating the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) to activate dormant accounts and incentivise account holders to keep them active by boosting insurance and credit access to these accounts.

“This is being pursued with an aim at achieving 100% saturation,” said another official, noting that the Aayog is of the view that there is a need for deepening credit inclusion and bridging financial literacy gaps across these accounts to strengthen India’s digital economy.

This is part of the overall PMJDY scheme evaluation to align the government’s financial inclusion initiative with its vision for a Viksit Bharat, or turning India into a developed country, by 2047, he said.

“Customer-orientated initiatives like continued emphasis on returning unclaimed funds and addressing insurance claim grievances through more robust regulatory supervision may also find mention in the budget announcement,” said a third official.