Inclusive Entrepreneurship: Youth from Marginalized Communities Navigating Startup Ecosystems

Abstract

Inclusive entrepreneurship serves as a strategic pathway to bridge economic and social disparities, particularly among India’s marginalized youth from SC, ST, OBC, and underprivileged rural or slum communities. This study investigates how these groups navigate the startup ecosystem, drawing upon a synthesized dataset of 250 survey responses and macro-level secondary sources such as the Census, MSME Annual Report, and economic indicators. Using Python-based tools, the analysis incorporates descriptive statistics, chi-square testing, multivariate logistic regression, and correlation matrices. Findings reveal that 78.4% of respondents are engaged or interested in entrepreneurship, yet only 25.6% have achieved current startup success. Major barriers identified include funding inaccessibility (44.8%), lack of mentorship (43.2%), and bureaucratic complexity. Statistical modeling shows that success correlates more strongly with ecosystem support variables like funding (r = 0.40) and mentorship (r = 0.37) than with caste or gender alone. ST youth reported the lowest success rates (18.6%). State-level analysis suggests literacy and youth unemployment are more influential than GDP growth in predicting inclusivity. The study emphasizes the need for targeted support frameworks and inclusive policy interventions to foster equitable startup opportunities for marginalized youth.