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Finance, gender, and entrepreneurship: India's informal sector firms

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  • Ira N. Gang
  • Rajesh Raj Natarajan
  • Kunal Sen

Abstract

How does informal economic activity respond to increased financial inclusion? Does it become more entrepreneurial? Does access to new financing options change the gender configuration of informal economic activity and, if so, in what ways and what directions? We take advantage of nationwide data collected in 2010/11 and 2015/16 by India's National Sample Survey Office on unorganized (informal) enterprises. This period was one of rapid expansion of banking availability aimed particularly at the unbanked, under-banked, and women.

Suggested Citation

  • Ira N. Gang & Rajesh Raj Natarajan & Kunal Sen, 2020. "Finance, gender, and entrepreneurship: India's informal sector firms," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2020-144, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2020-144
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Entrepreneurship; Financial constraints; Gender; Informal sector; Difference-in-differences; India;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • G28 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship

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