Breaking barriers and building intentions: examining women entrepreneurial intention in India through multi-theoretical approach

Purpose This study aims to examine the socio-psychological factors that influence women’s entrepreneurial intentions (WEI) in India by integrating the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and push-pull theory. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 371 final-semester female students from 6 universities, and women who had already started a business were asked to recall their entrepreneurial journey. This study used a mixed approach, and structural equation modeling-partial least squares (PLS-SEM) was used to test the proposed model. Findings The study reveals that kinship networks significantly enhance women’s entrepreneurial intentions by providing social and emotional support. However, their positive influence diminishes in socially toxic environments. In contrast, self-efficacy emerges as a strong and stable internal driver of entrepreneurial intention, even in adverse social conditions. Conversely, the need for independence showed no significant impact, suggesting that cultural and social constraints may limit its motivational role in collectivist contexts. Research limitations/implications This study provides valuable insights for policymakers, educators and development agencies. This emphasizes that promoting women’s entrepreneurship in collectivist societies requires both individual and contextual interventions. Strengthening self-efficacy through skill-building and confidence training and fostering psychologically safe and inclusive kinship networks can enhance women’s entrepreneurial intentions. Programs should also address social toxicity through awareness campaigns and supportive institutional frameworks that legitimize women’s economic participation in the workforce. Practical implications This study expands upon the TPB and push-pull theory by revealing that women’s entrepreneurial intentions arise from the interplay of cognitive, motivational, and sociocultural factors. These factors, including kinship networks and pull factors, are context-dependent, whereas self-efficacy emerges as a resilient internal driver that goes beyond mere autonomy. In practical terms, this study advocates for ecosystem redesign that bolsters mastery-based self-efficacy, transforms families into informed developmental partners and mitigates social toxicity through inclusive, structurally enabling policies. These policies should make women’s entrepreneurship socially endorsed and attainable. Originality/value This study integrates the push-pull theory and the TPB to comprehensively understand women’s entrepreneurial intentions in collectivist societies like India. It introduces social toxicity as a moderating variable, showing how negative social dynamics distort the positive effects of kinship networks and personal motivation, which advances a novel perspective on how supportive and toxic environments shape women’s entrepreneurial decisions.