Digital microfinance crowdfunding for disconnected women entrepreneurs in India

Abstract

This paper advances the knowledge on digital microfinance crowdfunding for women entrepreneurship and development by comparing environment and project factors in India. The empirical evidence is based on projects enacted by 626 poor and digitally disconnected women borrowers listed in Rang De, India's first digital social enterprise platform for crowdfunding and microfinance. The findings show that, even when the borrowers are digitally and socially disconnected from their funders, success is more a result of environmental factors than of project-specific characteristics. This differs from what is suggested by developed country crowdfunding research in regard to the importance of proximity and direct links between borrowers and investors. The importance and gender-specific role played by intermediaries in relation to digitally disconnected borrowers is also acknowledged, driving more attention to gender equality and to the digital divide for access to finance.