One in five Indian college students launched ventures, survey finds

India's college students are demonstrating robust entrepreneurial activity, with 22 per cent having already launched their own ventures, according to findings from an international study. The proportion rises sharply when accounting for aspiration, with 43 per cent of undergraduates indicating plans to start businesses.

The data comes from the Global University Entrepreneurial Spirit Students' Survey (GUESSS), a biennial research initiative conducted by the University of St Gallen in Switzerland. The survey tracks student attitudes towards entrepreneurship across dozens of countries, providing comparable insights into youth employment preferences and business creation trends.

The Indian figures suggest a significant shift in career expectations among the country's student population. The gap between those who have already established ventures and those who aspire to do so indicates a substantial pipeline of potential entrepreneurs among college-going youth.

India has witnessed accelerating startup activity over the past decade, with policy support and improved access to funding contributing to a more favourable environment for new business creation. Young entrepreneurs have increasingly turned to technology-enabled ventures, e-commerce, and services sectors.

The GUESSS survey provides researchers and policymakers with benchmarking data on whether educational institutions are effectively fostering entrepreneurial mindsets. For India, the results reflect broader demographic and economic shifts as younger generations seek alternatives to traditional employment pathways.