Startups in God’s Own Country: A Study of Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Kerala
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53555/jaes.v21i2.32Keywords:
Kerala, startup ecosystem, entrepreneurship, innovation, funding, incubation, government policyAbstract
This study examines the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Kerala, India, exploring its structural strengths, sectoral composition, funding patterns, enablers, and challenges. While Kerala has been widely recognized for its social development model, its emerging role as a startup hub has received limited scholarly attention. A mixed-methods research design was adopted, combining quantitative analysis of startup data with qualitative insights from surveys, interviews, and focus group discussions involving founders, ecosystem enablers, and policymakers. Secondary data was sourced from official reports, startup registries, and published literature. Analytical tools included descriptive statistics, SWOT analysis, comparative benchmarking, and thematic coding of qualitative responses. The results indicate a predominantly IT/ITES-driven ecosystem, supplemented by growing clusters in tourism-tech, healthcare, agritech, and fintech. Government-led initiatives, particularly through the Kerala Startup Mission, have played a pivotal role in incubation, grant funding, and infrastructure development. However, major challenges persist, including limited private investment, talent migration, constrained market access, and infrastructural gaps in semi-urban regions. The study suggests that attracting private capital, fostering industry–academia linkages, improving post-incubation support, and expanding market access initiatives are essential for sustaining growth. These recommendations hold significance for policymakers, investors, and entrepreneurs aiming to strengthen Kerala’s position within the national and global startup landscape. By integrating quantitative data with qualitative stakeholder perspectives, this research offers a comprehensive and context-specific evaluation of Kerala’s startup ecosystem. It contributes to the limited body of literature on state-level innovation ecosystems in India, highlighting how a socially developed state can harness its human capital and cultural strengths to build a competitive entrepreneurial environment.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Sajeev Kumar A P, Dr. N Shanmugam, Dr. Madhusoodanan Kartha N V (Author)
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