Purpose This paper examines the interplay between entrepreneurial ecosystems (EE) and entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and their influence on students' entrepreneurial intention (EI). While these constructs have been studied in isolation or in other cultural contexts, limited research has examined them within a unified framework within the Indian higher education setting. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative research design was employed using survey data from 432 students in North India. Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modelling (CB-SEM) was used to analyse the direct and mediated relationships between EE, EO and EI. Findings Results indicate that EE positively affects both EO and EI, while EO strongly predicts EI and partially mediates the EE–EI relationship. These findings underscore the combined relevance of macro-ecosystem-level and micro-orientation-level factors in shaping EI. Research limitations/implications The study highlights the need for higher education institutions to foster supportive EEs and nurture EO to enhance students' EIs. However, findings are limited by the cross-sectional design, regional focus on North India, and reliance on self-reported survey data, which may affect generalisability and causality. Practical implications The study suggests that university administrators, educators and policymakers should strengthen ecosystem components such as mentorship, institutional support, and entrepreneurial culture while simultaneously fostering students' EO traits to enhance EIs. Social implications Strengthening EE and EO can enhance youth employment, foster innovation, support female entrepreneurship, and inform policies for inclusive and sustainable economic growth in India. Originality/value This study makes a distinct contribution by extending the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) with ecosystem constructs and integrating social cognitive theory (SCT) to explain how institutional supports are internalised into EO. Unlike previous studies, it provides empirical evidence from an emerging economy context, demonstrating how Indian universities as EE shape students' intentions, a perspective underrepresented in global literature.
Nazir et al. (Mon,) studied this question.