Developing Rural Entrepreneurs through Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme: Understanding Impact and Challenges for Marginalised Sections

The Government of India has given special emphasis to develop entrepreneurship in the rural population and especially among the marginalised groups in recent times. This article attempts to understand the working of the programme in one of the Blocks of Karnal district in Haryana. This is a qualitative empirical study conducted in the Gharaunda Block of Karnal District, Haryana, in December 2021. The in-depth study is based on a collection of field data and observations documenting the success stories of rural entrepreneurs. Through this article, the authors analysed the functioning, success and challenges of the Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme implementation process. The study adopted triangulation data analysis method and recording oral history to document rural entrepreneurs’ stories, including the life story approach, to evaluate the programme. The study was conducted in the four villages of the Gharaunda Block. These rural entrepreneurs are from marginal sections of society, that is, the Scheduled Caste and Other Backward Caste sections. It is worth noting that all the selected entrepreneurs come from marginalised communities and happen to be women. In this article, the authors address the current gap by presenting a policy-relevant framework for conceptualising rural entrepreneurship. The study provides insights into the impact of the programme on rural entrepreneurship and offers input to address the challenges based on the fieldwork.