* Women home loan borrowers today receive several advantages that go beyond standard lending terms
* Despite policy incentives, several structural barriers continue to restrict women’s access to home finance
* Strengthening women’s access to housing requires a coordinated effort between lenders and policymakers.
By combining inclusive underwriting practices, strong policy support, and sustained public education, the broader ecosystem can accelerate female homeownership in a meaningful, equitable, and sustainable manner, says Munish Jain, Chief Business Officer – Home Loans at Capri Loans.
In an exclusive conversation with Sanjeev Sinha of Outlook Money, Mr Jain discusses the key challenges women in India face when seeking home loans, and the steps lenders and policymakers can take to strengthen women’s access to housing finance and property ownership. He shares insights on the benefits currently available to women borrowers, emerging trends in female homeownership, and the structural barriers that continue to limit their participation in the housing market. Excerpts:
What are the key benefits currently offered to women home loan borrowers, and how do they differ from standard lending terms?
Women home loan borrowers today receive several advantages that go beyond standard lending terms, reflecting a broader industry push toward financial inclusion and asset creation for women. While core lending products remain uniform and competitively priced for all eligible applicants, women can benefit from lower stamp duty charges in many states when a property is registered solely in their name or jointly with a female co-owner.
They also gain from government initiatives such as the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), which mandates female ownership for availing interest subsidies, significantly improving affordability for first-time buyers. Lenders increasingly support women-focused ownership by offering simplified documentation, flexible product structures and advisory assistance to help them maximise these incentives.
Have you observed a rise in women applicants or co-applicants for home loans in recent years? What trends stand out?
There has been a clear and steady rise in the number of women applying for or co-owning homes in recent years. This shift is driven by rising financial independence, stronger workforce participation and wider awareness of women-centric benefits such as lower stamp duty, preferential interest rates and PMAY-linked eligibility conditions.
Industry patterns also suggest that women are more actively participating in property decisions, not only as co-applicants but increasingly as primary owners. This reflects a broader socio-economic trend where homeownership is viewed as a critical pathway to financial security, stability, and long-term asset creation for women.
Despite incentives, what are the main barriers women—particularly single women or those with informal income—face in availing home loans?
Despite policy incentives, several structural barriers continue to restrict women’s access to home finance, especially for single women or those earning through informal or irregular sources. Common challenges include lower or inconsistent incomes, wage disparities, career breaks, and limited credit histories, all of which impact eligibility under traditional underwriting models.
Women in informal employment frequently face documentation gaps, making income verification difficult. In addition, institutional norms, such as expectations around male co-applicants and certain risk-assessment practices can inadvertently disadvantage female borrowers. Socio-cultural factors, including limited control over property decisions and low awareness of women-specific benefits, further compound the issue.
To bridge these gaps, progressive lenders are focusing on tailored documentation support, flexible income assessment for informal earners, encouraging co-ownership structures and actively promoting awareness of incentives available to women.
From a lender’s standpoint, how do women borrowers compare in terms of repayment behaviour and credit discipline?
Industry research consistently indicates that women borrowers tend to demonstrate stronger repayment behaviour and higher credit discipline. Several supply-side studies highlight that lenders often perceive female borrowers as more reliable, noting that having a woman as a co-borrower can improve repayment performance. Historical delinquency data also shows that women retail borrowers exhibit lower default and late-payment rates.
Portfolio-level observations across the sector reinforce these findings. Women, whether primary applicants or co-applicants, typically display timely EMI servicing, regular engagement with credit managers and fewer instances of account stress or restructuring requests. This behaviour is often attributed to a conservative approach to leverage, long-term financial planning and a strong emotional and financial commitment to homeownership.
As a result, women borrowers are viewed not only as a segment deserving of support but also as a stable and resilient credit cohort.
How can financial institutions and policymakers further strengthen housing access and ownership among women?
Strengthening women’s access to housing requires a coordinated effort between lenders and policymakers. Financial institutions can widen eligibility norms by recognising income from informal or part-time work, enabling more single and self-employed women to qualify. They can also introduce women-centric product designs, simplified application processes, targeted advisory programmes, and co-ownership models that position women as primary or equal borrowers.
Policymakers, on the other hand, can enhance affordability by expanding stamp duty concessions, strengthening subsidy frameworks, and driving widespread awareness of existing schemes.
By combining inclusive underwriting practices, strong policy support, and sustained public education, the broader ecosystem can accelerate female homeownership in a meaningful, equitable, and sustainable manner—advancing both individual empowerment and overall housing-market growth.
