Building an entrepreneurial nation, not just start-ups

Dr Gokilavani R, Associate Professor

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Dr Pranami Sharma, Assistant Professor

In the 21st century, one of the most discussed topics is the skills or skill sets, which are crucial for the growth of an economy, whether it involves producing them or acquiring them. For a country like India, it becomes mandatory to cultivate such skills to fulfil the dream of becoming the world’s third-largest economy, with a projected GDP of $7.3 trillion by 2030, as stated by the Press Information Bureau, India. India is rapidly evolving, but is the high velocity enough? That is a big question. The constantly evolving job market (World Development Reports, 2025) states that technology and its adoption, along with entrepreneurial skill sets, have consistently delivered the desired results. NITI Aayog has stressed the need to move beyond start-up metrics and focus on cultivating entrepreneurial thinking and innovation capacity among students and the workforce. However, as stated in the OECD’s 2025 report, this creative thinking cannot be limited to only business people. This skill in the current economy is not only about business creation but also about building resilience, value creation, initiative-taking, and design thinking in every sphere of life. Thus, such thinking cannot be taught unless the value creation system is deeply rooted in an individual’s early childhood.

India’s legislative system has already accommodated this shift through the notable National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. It emphasises multidisciplinary, critical thinking, experiential learning and early-stage vocational immersion. It advocates a root-to-branch transformation, steering learners away from rote memorisation and shallow knowledge building towards creativity and problem-solving. Likewise, initiatives such as Skill India and Atmanirbhar Bharat emphasise the importance of a workforce that can respond effectively to shifting market needs. According to the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, India aims to upskill over 400 million people by 2030 – an ambition that cannot be achieved only through technical development without nurturing adaptability and cognitive agility.

For students, an entrepreneurial mindset improves employability and survival skills, which are highly in demand in the current dynamic environment. Exposure to hands-on projects, internships, research-based assignments, and community engagement work enables students to connect theory with practice. In an economy where career opportunities are increasingly non-linear, students are the ones who can analyse a problem. Collaborating across disciplines and learning continuously are better positioned. This aligns with NEP 2020’s objective of lifelong learning and flexibility in academic pathways.

Equally important is the role of teachers, institutions and domestic ecosystems in nurturing this mindset. Entrepreneurial capacity cannot be outsourced solely to incubators or elite institutions.

It must be embedded across classrooms, community colleges, universities and workplaces. Assessment systems need to emphasise problem identification, solutions, collaborations, and real-world applications along with examinations. Public-private partnerships, local industry engagement and region-specific innovation challenges can further anchor entrepreneurial thinking in realities. When students and employees are encouraged to question assumptions, experiment responsibly and reflect on failure, innovation becomes inclusive rather than exceptional. Such a shift ensures that entrepreneurship is not seen as an alternative career path for a few, but as a shared national capability that strengthens economic resilience and social progress.

A similar mindset is critical within organisations, where technology moves faster than corporate strategies. Today’s business cannot survive with order takers; it depends on employees who can innovate, often described as ‘intrapreneurs’. It improves processes, reduces inefficiencies, and contributes to organisational resilience. However, the lack of risk-taking ability of “intrapreneurs’ kills creativity and agility. Organisations must incorporate design thinking training that encourages informed risk-taking, accountability, and learning from failures.

India’s demographic dividend can become a liability if its workforce lacks adaptability. The entrepreneurial mindset is a bridge between education, employment and economic growth. Its value lies not in producing more start-ups alone but in enabling citizens to think independently and act responsibly across sectors. Towards the end, we can agree that India’s aspiration to become a global leader cannot solely depend on business growth, but the real push is the manpower with the developed growth mindset. As of NEP 2020, the work has begun to uplift and build a problem-solving attitude across nations along with various other initiatives from central and state governments. The lifting of individual spirits and the economy is possible. The entrepreneurial skill is no longer a niche idea but a requirement to sustain the country’s momentum for effective adoption of required changes.