Barriers restricting indigenous women from becoming successful entrepreneurs: empirical evidence from India

The present study empirically examines the barriers restricting indigenous women from becoming successful entrepreneurs in the Odisha state of India. The present study has analysed the samples of 596 indigenous women entrepreneurs collected from 12 villages across the four districts of Odisha. The authors have analysed the significance of barriers to indigenous women entrepreneurship in the rural Indian context. Structure equation modelling has been used to validate the hypothesised relationships formulated in the study. The findings of the study highlighted that social, personal, financial, production and marketing barriers are significant barriers that restrict indigenous women from becoming successful in their entrepreneurial activities. Acknowledging these barriers could help indigenous women entrepreneurs to become more focused and strategic towards mitigation of these impediments. Government and society must work together to remove the barriers in the path of successful entrepreneurs to encourage Indian indigenous women in rural settings.