Changing severity of impediments for entrepreneurs in India: an empirical analysis

Abstract

One of the key emphasis areas of India’s economic reforms has been to promote entrepreneurship. Since the beginning of 1990s, in the last 20 years the economic planning has focused on liberalisation of state’s control to enable an entrepreneur to overcome the impediments in setting up enterprises and establishing them. It is generally believed that over the last two decades of reform process the problems faced by start ups have also reduced. This study has been carried out using data gathered through a survey of 136 entrepreneurs based in New Delhi, the capital city of India. The three periods defined for the study of impediments faced by the entrepreneurs in setting up their ventures are: before 1994 (Period I); between 1995 to 2004 (Period II) and 2005 onwards (Period III). Based on the existing frameworks of country institutional profile key impediments for the survey were identified and analysed in the light of India’s economic reform process impacting the entrepreneurial activity.