Abstract:
Today, entrepreneurship is considered to be one of the most critical factors contributing towards an economy’s
growth and development since it can contribute immensely towards the wealth-creation and employment
generation. But for the proper development of entrepreneurship it is essential to understand the factors
hindering its growth. In this backdrop, our paper seeks to comprehend the issues and major challenges faced
by the entrepreneurs in the Indian beedi sector. In India, the beedi manufacturing is a traditional agro-forest
based industry. The Indian beedi industry employs more than seven million and is worth 150-200 million
rupees. More than 16 percent of the beedi workers are from West Bengal, and majorly from the district of
Murshidabad. Many of the beedi barons in India are from Murshidabad. The study has been carried out in
the district of Murshidabad, West Bengal. A questionnaire entitled ‘Obstacles to Entrepreneurship
Development’ has been administered and personal interviews have been conducted to collect the data. The
data collected have been analyzed to draw proper inferences. The findings of this research work will definitely
help us to identify the problems associated with entrepreneurship in the beedi sector. Appropriate strategies to
overcome the problems have also been proposed in this study. The results of this study have implications for
the existing entrepreneurs, would-be entrepreneurs, the educational institutes, and the centres engaged in the
promotion of entrepreneurship.
