Sheconomics in Action: An Analysis of Investment Decisions in Indian Startups

Purpose: The main aim of this study is to examine how gender influences investment decisions in the Indian startup ecosystem, by focusing on investors and entrepreneur gender on investmentdecisions. Methodology:Data have been collected from an Indian TV reality show (s.tank), Using Chisquare, Binomial Logistic Regression, and Mann-Whitney U test for hypothesis testing. Findings: This paper explores 3 major findings, a huge gap of 46% in women-led startups and men-led startups, but there is no significant sign of homophily, i.e. no association found between investor's gender and entrepreneur's gender. However, a significant difference was observed in the valuation of startups, favouring male-led startups. Research Limitations: One of the key limitations is data collected from a TV show, which may involve unique procedures and potential discrepancies compared to the Indian startup ecosystem. Second, solely on gender dynamics, excluding other potential influencing factors. Practical Implications: Government institutions, Policymakers and private investors should continue supporting women entrepreneurs. Investors and entrepreneurs should be aware ofthese biases. Originality:To the best of the researcher's knowledge, this is the first attempt to examine investment decisions of the Indian startup ecosystem, using data from a TV show. It also challenges prevailing notions of gender bias in investment decisions and provides empirical insights into gender dynamics.