CHENNAI, India, July 23, 2026 -- CRIF India, part of the global CRIF network, has launched the Chennai chapter of 'Credit Goes to HER', its flagship community initiative dedicated to empowering women professionals in the credit and financial services ecosystem. Following the successful launch of the Kolkata chapter, the Chennai chapter marks another important step in expanding the platform's regional footprint and fostering stronger networks among women leaders across the BFSI sector.
Launched earlier this year, Credit Goes to HER aims to build a vibrant community of women professionals who are shaping the future of credit while enabling greater financial inclusion for women across India. The initiative seeks to create a platform for women across banking, NBFCs, fintech, analytics, risk, and policy to connect, exchange ideas, mentor emerging talent, and contribute towards building a more inclusive credit ecosystem.
Chennai has been chosen as the next regional chapter owing to Tamil Nadu's strong and diversified financial services landscape, vibrant fintech ecosystem, and growing prominence as a hub for banking, housing finance, microfinance, and technology-led lending institutions. The city is home to several leading financial institutions and professionals who are driving innovation, inclusion, and responsible credit growth.
Tamil Nadu continues to emerge as one of India's fastest-growing retail credit markets, making Chennai a natural choice for the next chapter of the initiative. As of March 2026, the state's retail credit portfolio stood at ₹19.1 lakh crore, registering a 21.1% year-on-year growth, while the women's credit portfolio reached ₹7.2 lakh crore, growing 25.5% YoY, outpacing the overall market. The state has also witnessed strong momentum in gold loans (+45.3% YoY) and business lending (+17.6% YoY), alongside improving portfolio quality with PAR declining to 2.9%, reflecting healthier credit behaviour. These trends underscore Tamil Nadu's position as a high-growth credit market, driven by women borrowers, entrepreneurship, and strengthening credit quality.
The Chennai chapter will serve as a local platform for women professionals across banks, NBFCs, housing finance companies, fintechs, academia, and policy institutions to share knowledge, seek mentorship, and collaborate on advancing inclusive credit practices.
The launch event in Chennai witnessed participation from distinguished women leaders from the BFSI ecosystem, including Gayathri Parthasarathy, Advisor to Chairman, PwC (Moderator); Sharon Buteau, Executive Director, LEAD at Krea University; Srimathy Sridhar, Former Executive Director, Indian Overseas Bank and Independent Director for Karur Vysya Bank, IDBI Capital Markets & Nabfins; and Kalpana Sankar, Ex-MD & CEO, Belstar Microfinance and current MD & CEO, Varashakti Housing Finance.
The event also featured a keynote address by Gowri T Mukherjee, Co-Founder, CreditMantri, along with a data insights session focused on emerging trends in credit and women's participation in the financial ecosystem.
Through Credit Goes to HER, CRIF India continues its commitment to building stronger communities, promoting women's leadership, and creating greater opportunities for women to shape the future of credit in India.
Join the community: (5) Credit Goes To HER - Women in Credit, Credit for Women (Curated by CRIF India) | Groups | LinkedIn
About CRIF:
CRIF India is a leading provider of credit information, business intelligence, analytics, software and digital solutions for banks, financial institutions, NBFCs, insurance companies, telecom providers, MSMEs, corporates, and consumers across India. Through its group entities, including CRIF High Mark Credit Information Services Private Limited and CRIF Solutions, CRIF India supports responsible lending, financial inclusion, and data-driven decision-making.
Licensed by the Reserve Bank of India under the Credit Information Companies (Regulation) Act, 2005, CRIF High Mark operates one of India's leading credit bureaus with data contributions from over 5,000 member institutions. Combining advanced analytics, decisioning platforms, business information, and digital solutions, CRIF India enables organizations to make faster, smarter, and more informed decisions across the customer lifecycle while contributing to a more transparent and inclusive financial ecosystem.
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