Determinants of agripreneurial training needs among tribal youths in Odisha, India: an empirical analysis

Limited livelihood diversification continues to constrain the socio-economic advancement of tribal youth in India, particularly due to inadequate skills in managing agricultural enterprises. Empirical evidence on the specific training needs of rural tribal youth across different agri-enterprises remains scarce. This study examines the agripreneurial training needs of tribal youth in Odisha, focusing on their key determinants. The findings indicated that enterprises such as mushroom cultivation, beekeeping, and dairy farming require prioritized training interventions. Among the determinants, psychological readiness—defined as an individual’s willingness to initiate enterprises, innovativeness, risk orientation, and achievement motivation—emerged as the most significant factor (r = 0.61–0.75) influencing training needs, surpassing socio-demographic variables. The study contributes to the literature by contextualizing training need assessment within tribal settings and highlighting the central role of behavioural attributes in shaping agripreneurial capacity. The findings offer actionable insights for designing targeted vocational need-based training programmes that can foster income diversification and sustainable livelihood development among tribal communities.