Female entrepreneurial support requirements: post pandemic ecosystems in India

Purpose The corona virus outbreak has affected the entrepreneurial ecosystem adversely. This in particular has impacted on females. This study aims to identify the factors affecting the entrepreneurial intention (EI) of females under post-COVID adverse conditions. Design/methodology/approach A total of 340 articles were screened applying the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses method. The EI of individuals undertaking different professional courses from three top National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF) government institutes were then analyzed. In the expert analysis, the nominal group technique (NGT) and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) were used to identify and rank the crucial factors. Subsequently, in the exploratory analysis, a 19-item questionnaire was framed. The data was analyzed using SmartPLS 3. Findings Resilience, entrepreneurial education, self-concept and self-efficacy, social influence and opportunity perception were identified as critical indicators. Resilience was identified as the most significant factor. The partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) revealed that all the factors except social influence had significant effect on the EI of females. Research limitations/implications This study focuses primarily on factors affecting females in India. As ecosystems and support vary by region and country, the authors suggest that this study be replicated in different regions/countries in the future. Practical implications The potential entrepreneurs can use this study's reference to identify the abilities they need. The government and academic institutions can have skill/training programs to enhance the effect of important factors identified in the study. Originality/value While there is growing research of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial marketing post-pandemic, there are a lack of Indian studies and female entrepreneurship studies.