Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

“I see startups, technology and innovation as exciting and effective instruments for India’s transformation.” - Shri Narendra Modi Prime Minister of India

Entrepreneurship is considered an important mechanism that promotes economic development through employment, innovation, and welfare. Startup India is a flagship initiative of the government of India, intended to build a strong eco-system for nurturing entrepreneurship in the country. Through this initiative, government has taken up 19 different action plans around Simplification of the process and handholding, Funding supports and incentives and industry academia partnership and incubation. Startup skills, networking and cultural support forms an important pillar of entrepreneurship in Global Entrepreneurship Index 2016. Since Startup India addresses these points along with many other,the present research analyzes the impact of the policy on Entrepreneurship Ecosystem in India. In a qualitative study done on 22 entrepreneurs and 20 startup employees, content analysis revealed their perceptions of the initiative’s significance. Entrepreneurs’ and employees’ reported that it has created a positive psychological impact in the Indian society. This has led to enhanced parental and societal support for entrepreneurship development. The results are interpreted in the light of collectivism paradigm and theories of motivation and attachment. Implications for growth in Entrepreneurship and innovation are also discussed in the paper.