Published Paper Details:

Entrepreneurship education has become an essential route through which young people can be given the knowledge, skills, and attitude needed to thrive in an increasingly dynamic world economy. For India, a country where there are strong societal gender roles and socio-cultural constraints that limit the participation of women in entrepreneurial work, focused entrepreneurship education can act as a driving force for constructive change. This study seeks to investigate the role of entrepreneurship education in Indian colleges towards empowering young women, as well as determine the main challenges they encounter in accessing and benefiting from these programs. The research employs a mixed-method design, integrating surveys and interviews with female undergraduate students, faculty, and entrepreneurship development cell coordinators from chosen institutions. The results indicate that although entrepreneurship education promotes critical thinking, creativity, and self-esteem among young women, a number of obstacles still discourage them from pursuing entrepreneurship. These include restricted access to mentorship, absence of seed funding, societal pressures, and insufficient exposure to actual entrepreneurial experiences. In addition, the research points out effective institutional practices and government programs that have facilitated entrepreneurship education to become more accessible and inclusive for women. In light of these findings, the paper suggests a range of strategic recommendations for bolstering the ecosystem for women entrepreneurs in academic institutions. These are gender-sensitive curricula, experiential learning experiences, networking forums, and specialized support mechanisms. In solving these issues and encouraging inclusive education policies, Indian universities can be at the center of developing India's next generation of women entrepreneurs and innovators.