Basis Revolutionizes Women's Financial Independence with Education-Led Community Ecosystem

In India, the financial landscape has long been a "by-men, for-men" space. Despite women contributing significantly to the economy, they remain staggering underserved by traditional financial institutions. Less than a quarter of equity market investors are women, and over 80% are under-insured. For many urban Indian women, money is still a "cultural taboo"—a subject often managed by male family members, leaving women vulnerable in times of crisis.

Enter Hena Mehta and Dipika Jaikishan, the co-founders of Basis. By combining elite backgrounds in fintech (Goldman Sachs, Square, Ezetap) and wealth management (Fisdom), they are building India’s first financial services destination exclusively for women. Through a combination of bite-sized education, engaged communities, and curated financial products, Basis is helping women stop being "passive observers" and start being the "CEOs of their own wealth."

From overcoming the "pink-washing" of financial apps to hitting 100,000+ users, the journey of Basis is a blueprint for building empathy-driven fintech.

The Problem: The "Mono-Culture" of Personal Finance

Mehta and Jaikishan identify a systemic blind spot in the financial industry. Traditional players often treat women’s financial exclusion as a simple "marketing problem" that can be solved with a pink interface or a targeted ad campaign. The reality, however, is a deep-seated lack of trust, confidence, and contextual knowledge.

"Finserv... is a very by-men for-men space full of blind spots," Mehta explains. "A marketing campaign or a pink washed financial app is not going to solve this problem." The founders highlight several critical cultural and systemic barriers:

The Solution: Education, Community, and Curated Action

Basis flips the traditional fintech model by focusing on Education and Community first. They understood that women don't just want a "transactional" app; they want a safe space to learn and discuss. The platform offers "Knowledge Boosters"—bite-sized learning modules designed for the busy life of a professional woman who only has 10 minutes a day.

"We built out communities where women get together, discuss anything under the sun related to their money," says Jaikishan. This peer-to-peer engagement fosters the trust necessary to move from "learning" to "transacting."

Implementation: Building for Empathy

The founders’ approach is hyper-focused on the nuances of how women make financial decisions. For example, they prioritize health insurance as a foundational product. They noticed that many women's savings are often wiped out by family medical emergencies because they lacked their own dedicated protection.

They are also tackling the credit gap. "Women have much better credit histories than men... yet getting a credit card has been really hard," Jaikishan notes. Basis recently launched a waitlist for a women-centric credit card designed to help young professionals build their credit history early, making them eligible for better home loan rates later in life.

The Human Side: Mission-Driven Hiring

For Mehta and Jaikishan, building a startup is a "roller coaster" that requires a team of "believers." They prioritize Hustle and Mission-Alignment over just academic backgrounds. One of their quickest leadership hires happened in just three days after a candidate wrote a lengthy email making a passionate case for why she belonged at Basis.

Interestingly, they don't believe in "women-only" teams. "There's a lot of strengths that men bring to teams as well," Jaikishan says, "but the basic thing we follow is being respectful to every person on the team." If a candidate doesn't empathize with the mission of solving for women, they don't belong at Basis.

Future Vision: Shifting the Global Paradigm

The founders are highly bullish on the women-focused fintech space, seeing it as a $700 billion opportunity globally. As the "viral coefficient" of the platform grows—where women refer their friends and colleagues—Basis is positioning itself at the forefront of a major shift in how wealth is managed in India.

Key Takeaways for Founders

• Go Beyond "Marketing": If you are solving for an underserved vertical, go deep into their motivations and behaviors rather than just changing the UI color.
• Community is the New Acquisition: In high-trust industries like finance, a viral community is more effective than expensive paid ads.
• Get Comfortable with Uncertainty: Startups are the opposite of structured lives. The ability to "ride through the bumps" is a critical life skill.
• Mission Attracts Talent: A strong "why" acts as a magnet for high-quality hires who want more than just a paycheck.

Basis is more than just a financial platform; it’s a movement to reclaim the financial narrative for 50% of the population. For Hena Mehta and Dipika Jaikishan, the goal is simple: to make sure that no woman ever has to say "I don't know where the money is" during a crisis. By putting power back into the hands of women, they are ensuring that Bharat's growth is truly inclusive.