Resilience of Rural Entrepreneurs in Marathwada Region towards Vulnerability to Climate Change

Climate-related uncertainty is becoming an important business risk for rural enterprises because many local firms depend on agriculture, natural resources, seasonal income and geographically concentrated markets. The Marathwada region of Maharashtra provides a relevant setting for examining this issue because recurrent drought, uneven monsoon behaviour, water stress and episodes of extreme heat can affect production systems and the purchasing capacity of rural households. This paper examines how rural entrepreneurs can build resilience when their operating environment is exposed to such risks. The study uses an exploratory secondary-research design and synthesises official government material, development-project documents and research literature. Rather than treating resilience as simple survival after a disaster, the paper conceptualises it as a combination of preparedness, shock absorption, adaptation and enterprise transformation. Six dimensions are proposed: financial preparedness, diversification, resource efficiency, market flexibility, knowledge and technology, and institutional connectivity. The analysis suggests that the resilience of rural enterprises is closely connected with the resilience of the wider rural economy. Business continuity can be improved when entrepreneurs diversify revenue sources, manage liquidity carefully, conserve scarce resources, use climate and market information, strengthen customer networks and establish links with financial and public institutions. The paper develops a conceptual model and offers recommendations for enterprise development programmes in Marathwada. It also identifies the need for future district-level primary research to test the proposed relationships quantitatively. Keywords: Climate adaptation; climate vulnerability; Marathwada; rural enterprise; entrepreneurial resilience; livelihood diversification; rural development