ENTREPRENEURIAL ASPIRATIONS VS. REALITY: UNDERSTANDING WOMEN’S ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTIONS, MOTIVATION AND PARTICIPATION TRENDS IN INDIA

“Human development, if not engendered, is endangered” (UNDP, 1995). It is the bedrock of rich human resources. This will be flourish only when a country’s male and female populations belonging to the working age group (15-64 age) can utilize their knowledge, skills, and abilities to help in their own progression as well as the improvement of society and the nation. In the 21st century, women from multiple sectors are getting opportunities to receive quality education, are engaging in paid employment, and various legal rights have been enacted to protect them. However, social inequality has not yet been completely eliminated. In India, there is still a significant gap between rates of male (70.9%) and female (40.3%) work participation. As an established fact after extensive and proven studies, it has been found that, if women are given the opportunity to apply their competencies, comprehension, and capacities in the workplace, instead of being confined to household chores, our nation’s manpower will be more potent, and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will expand consistently. Women Entrepreneurship is one of the paramount features through which women not only improve their quality of life and the lives of their families, but also benefit society by boosting the economy and advancing towards gender equality. This study analyzes the landscape about women’s intentions toward entrepreneurship, diverse motivational factors that are helping her to choose and enter this field and the participation trends of early-stage women entrepreneurial activity in India using secondary data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Women’s Entrepreneurship Report (GEM). The findings of this study highlight the significance of appropriate policy implementation that fosters women’s entrepreneurship and bridges the gap between their intentions and the actual implementation of their dreams. This enables women to uphold themselves as successful entrepreneurs, ultimately contributing to the overall growth and development of the country.