Nearly three out of four Indian university students want to become entrepreneurs, but a majority feel ill-equipped to turn those ambitions into reality, according to a new survey by BML Munjal University.

The report highlights how a generation brimming with entrepreneurial intent is being held back by a lack of mentorship, funding, and structural guidance.

Titled “Youth Entrepreneurship and Start-up Governance — Guiding the Next Generation of Leaders Towards Stability and Success”, the study surveyed 1,000 students from across Indian universities and 200 industry professionals, including founders, CXOs, investors, and start-up ecosystem experts.

The findings, unveiled at the university’s annual Leadership Summit, paint a vivid picture of India’s emerging entrepreneurial class—ambitious, ethically inclined, yet struggling with systemic gaps.

Mentorship and funding remain biggest roadblocks

Over 35% of students cited the lack of mentorship as their most significant barrier to launching a start-up. Another 22% pointed to funding constraints and limited guidance on legal and financial matters as key hurdles.

While fear of failure and difficulty balancing studies with entrepreneurship were also cited, they trailed far behind structural challenges. “A lack of mentorship is the single biggest obstacle,” the report noted, adding that “guidance on legal and financial matters (24%) and funding limitations (22%) continue to deter student founders.”

Governance emerging as a growth driver

Interestingly, the survey found that governance—often dismissed as red tape—is gaining recognition as a growth catalyst. More than half of the industry leaders surveyed viewed strong governance as an enabler of scale and investor trust. About one-third, however, identified governance as the most deficient skill among youth-led ventures.

Start-ups with structured board reviews, transparent reporting, and ethical frameworks were found to attract significantly higher investor confidence. Transparency and social impact emerged as the two biggest factors influencing investor decisions, followed closely by founder credibility.

Universities seen as key enablers—yet incubation remains weak

While nearly half of the student respondents credited their universities with supporting entrepreneurial activity, only 9.6% found existing incubation programmes to be highly effective. A vast 89% of students, however, advocated for introducing courses on ethics, governance, and financial accountability—indicating strong appetite for responsible entrepreneurship education.

“The next wave of unicorns will not just be driven by innovation, but by integrity, governance, and financial discipline,” said Jolly Masih, Chair of the Leadership Summit. “As educators, it’s our responsibility to nurture this mindset early—so that ambition and accountability grow hand in hand.”

The report ultimately underscores a defining shift in India’s youth entrepreneurship landscape—from chasing hypergrowth to building ventures rooted in trust, transparency, and long-term value.