Political Claims and Empirical Reality: Some Issues and Challenges (GEM India Reports)

Abstract

In the present decade of Innovations (2010-2020) one is likely to presume a spurt in entrepreneurial activities in India, particularly in view of the fact that our Prime Minister in 2014 took a number of policy decisions to take India to new heights in entrepreneurship. The paper aims to find out the empirical reality on the basis of GEM- Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, India Reports published every year. The main objectives of the paper are to examine Total Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) over the years and its distribution across nations, regions, and as per individual attributes - age and gender. Further it explores the Motivation and Perceptions of the adult population with respect to social values and prevailing scenario of entrepreneurship in India. The data across the years do not show much encouraging signs. Rather India is stagnating or relatively has been left behind other factor driven economies over the three quarters of the decade. Number of days taken to start business and the procedures involved are still in highest numbers and the business ranking is lowest. The entrepreneurial spirit index shows negative value as per the latest report. Ironically GDP per capita has come down. The paper is also an attempt to seek answers to why India has failed to achieve inclusive growth which was presumed to be gained through innovations.