NEW DELHI, INDIA — 22 OCTOBER 2026
What if the new generation of India’s business leaders has already emerged from university, feeding ambitious concepts that may revolutionise industries but have trouble finding their first customers? The results of a national survey reveal an intriguing contradiction: the entrepreneurial spirit of Indian students is high, but transforming this spirit into real business remains a challenge.
According to the GUESSS India 2025 National Survey Report, published by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi on the 21st of October, 2026, 22% of surveyed Indian students started their companies, while 43% of respondents plan to be entrepreneurs. The results indicate that India generally fits international averages but brings up several important questions regarding assistance that young entrepreneurs need to succeed.
A Generation Rethinking the Concept of Career
The report, titled ‘How do we make student entrepreneurs?’, is based on the feedback of 25,783 students from more than 1,200 higher education institutions across 34 states and union territories in India. The data was collected from September to December 2025.
Research has reported that 22% of Indian students have already started their ventures, which is very close to the global figure of 23%. In addition, 43% voiced their entrepreneurial ambitions, equalling the global rate.
The most interesting finding, however, is the fact of the change in students’ plans for the immediate future. The level of those who would like to run their firms after graduation has risen from 14% in 2023 to 16.2% in 2025. At the same time, the number of students who would like to work for the government has reduced from 12.7% to 10.1%, and those who prefer employment in big corporations have dropped from 31.3% to 27.4%.
This means that entrepreneurship becomes more appealing as a career. Nevertheless, intentions are not enough for stating that entrepreneurship will produce more successful businesses.
Finding the First Customer Is More Challenging Than Coming Up with the First Idea
One of the most remarkable results of the survey was the data on entrepreneurial networks. Around half of Indian students reported that they do not know a single entrepreneur apart from their parents, in contrast to a figure of approximately one third among students worldwide.
Indeed, there is a great deal of significance in that gap. Students who have entrepreneurs in their environment—whether in their family, friends’ circles, schoolmates, or professors—are three times more likely to start a business. That is to say that being exposed to entrepreneurs helps students gain practical knowledge, contacts, and risk factors related to entrepreneurship, which cannot always be taught from books.
The issue becomes more pronounced when businesses enter the market. For instance, in India only 10% of student entrepreneurs could make their first sale at the time they were surveyed, whereas globally that figure stood at 23%.
The distinction is crucial. A successful business plan might get an endorsement at a university contest; however, a paying customer can give a different interpretation to the concept, as it evaluates whether anyone is ready to pay for the product/service.
Eventually, it is clear that students pursuing entrepreneurship in India are not demotivated by that. As reported, 31% of Indian student entrepreneurs with active businesses were founded in 2025 against only 18% globally.
Moreover, the study found that 41% of Indian students engaged in entrepreneurship had already closed some businesses, while the global figure for entrepreneurship was 33%.
The numbers suggest that there are some young entrepreneurs willing to take risks and learn from mistakes. However, repeated attempts should not necessarily be regarded as successful: the survey does not prove that every new business is viable or profitable.
Technology creates another anomaly. Information technologies, artificial intelligence and digital services are among the most demanded sectors for new businesses, while only one out of 10 currently functioning businesses among surveyed students operates in this sector.
Another important aspect pointed out by the report is the gender gap. The results reveal that women have entrepreneurial intentions almost as often as men, but only 45% of aspiring women entrepreneurs have started a business, in contrast to 53% of men.
Can universities provide young people with entrepreneurial instruments to transform ambitions into economic success?
The report suggests that aspiring entrepreneurs and alumnus entrepreneurs, legal educators, and student entrepreneurs should interact more with each other. They should also keep track of important milestones, including their first sales, company incorporation, and the development of initial prototypes.
The author of the report was Dr Puran Singh, associate professor at the School of Management of IIT Mandi and GUESSS national representative for India. The research’s main takeaway is that universities must recognise the need to go beyond merely discussing entrepreneurship as a career option and actively assist students in taking their first steps toward starting their own businesses.
The next huge shift in entrepreneurship in India may have its origins in the idea of one student, but the idea cannot create jobs and deliver money.
The real challenge is not how many students wish to become entrepreneurs, but how many of those individuals will be capable of transforming their dreams into successful businesses.
