ANALYZING THE ROLE OF FINTECH INNOVATIONS IN ADVANCING AGRICULTURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN INDIA

Agricultural entrepreneurs in countries like India often face long-standing hurdles such as limited access to finance, inadequate insurance options, and a lack of timely market information. These challenges frequently restrict their ability to take risks, invest in growth, and achieve long-term stability. In recent years, however, the rise of financial technology (fintech) has started to change this landscape by offering new tools that make financial services more accessible, efficient, and inclusive. This study investigates how fintech innovations are shaping the growth of agricultural entrepreneurship in India. It focuses on how the use of mobile payments, digital lending, and other fintech solutions influences financial inclusion, business growth, and the ability of farmers to manage risks more effectively. A quantitative approach was adopted, with data collected through a structured online questionnaire completed by 400 agricultural entrepreneurs across key farming regions of India. The responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression models to understand the links between fintech adoption and entrepreneurial outcomes. The findings highlight that fintech has opened up significant opportunities for rural entrepreneurs, especially by improving access to credit and insurance. These tools have helped farmers strengthen their financial planning and expand their ventures. Among the available solutions, mobile-based payments and digital lending emerged as the most commonly used, pointing to their practicality and ease of adoption. At the same time, barriers such as weak digital skills and patchy infrastructure continue to limit wider acceptance of these innovations. Overall, the research suggests that fintech has the potential to play a transformative role in promoting agricultural entrepreneurship in India. Strengthening rural digital infrastructure and offering tailored training programs can help bridge the current gaps, allowing more entrepreneurs to benefit from these technologies. By highlighting both opportunities and challenges, this study provides practical recommendations and contributes to the growing understanding of how fintech can support inclusive and sustainable rural development.