Entrepreneurship in India – A Discourse to evaluating the Government's mandates on spurring Entrepreneurship

Abstract

Entrepreneurship is widely regarded as a primary engine of economic growth, innovation, and employment generation in developing economies. In recognition of its strategic importance, the Government of India has implemented a series of flagship policy interventions — including Startup India, Stand-Up India, Skill India, Digital India, and the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) — designed to cultivate a supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem. Although these schemes have achieved considerable visibility, evidence on their actual effectiveness across sectors, regions, and demographic groups remains limited and fragmented. This study addresses that gap by empirically evaluating the effectiveness of key government entrepreneurship policies in India using a convergent mixed-methods design. Survey data were collected from 200 entrepreneurs and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 policymakers, complemented by secondary data from government and institutional reports. The results reveal a substantial divergence between policy awareness and actual scheme utilization, with implementation constrained by procedural complexity, limited grassroots outreach, and weak post-disbursement support, particularly for women, Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST), and rural entrepreneurs. Policymakers acknowledge the developmental potential of these schemes but identify bureaucratic bottlenecks and inadequate last-mile delivery as binding constraints. The study contributes to the entrepreneurship policy literature by offering an integrated awareness-utilization-effectiveness framework and proposes actionable recommendations — including simplified digital delivery, decentralized outreach, and inclusive targeting — to strengthen the translation of policy intent into grassroots entrepreneurial outcomes.