How can financial tools better support women farmers in India? This question is at the center of a newly launched effort to bring inclusive insurance solutions to rural communities.

In June 2025, IFC’s Women’s Insurance Program launched a new advisory engagement with Credit Access Life Insurance Ltd (CALI), sister company of Credit Access Grameen (an IFC NBFI client), to develop bespoke solutions and expand insurance coverage to women farmers in India. This advisory will leverage the women farmers and agri-entrepreneurs network at Bayer CropScience as beneficiaries. IFC has kicked off the engagement with CALI leadership and held departmental interviews to assess CALI’s capacity and approach to serving women customers.

An IFC team comprising Fatou Giwa, Prapti Sherchan, Looie Lobregat, and Jyoti Dar were in Bangalore with the CALI team in June for the kick-off, followed by a field visit to a village near Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, with the Bayer India team. There, they held a focus group with women farmers and interviewed the local Bayer Agri Entrepreneur. The visit provided valuable insights into the women’s daily lives, needs, and how financial services—especially insurance—can support them.

By listening to women on the ground and engaging with both financial and agricultural partners, the project aims to design products that truly meet the needs of women in farming—many of whom remain outside traditional insurance coverage. As this collaboration moves forward, it holds the potential to improve both financial resilience and gender inclusion in India’s agriculture sector.

Stay tuned for updates as the partnership develops and new solutions take shape!