Students Prefer Starting Their Own Businesses Over Seeking Jobs; 22% Have Already Launched Ventures
Instead of merely aspiring to secure a job after completing their studies, students are now choosing to launch their own businesses. According to a report, more than 22% of college students in India have already started their own ventures.
A significant shift in the mindset of students in Indian colleges is becoming evident. Rather than focusing solely on finding employment after graduation, students are increasingly taking steps to become entrepreneurs—transitioning from job seekers to job creators. According to the 'GUESSS India 2025' national survey report—conducted by IIT Mandi and REVA University, Bengaluru—over 22% of college students in India have already launched their own businesses. This figure is remarkably close to the global average of 23%.
The research, which surveyed 25,783 students across more than 1,200 higher educational institutions in 34 states and union territories, reveals that 43% of students in India aspire to become entrepreneurs. The data indicates a rapidly growing inclination among the youth toward launching their own startups, rather than pursuing traditional employment.
The report shows that the proportion of students intending to start a business immediately upon completing college has risen from 14% in 2023 to 16.2% in 2025. Conversely, the percentage of students aspiring to secure a government job immediately after their studies has declined from 12.7% to 10.1%. Furthermore, the share of students aiming for positions in large corporate firms has dropped from 31.3% to 27.4%.
The survey also highlights that the businesses initiated by Indian students are not merely theoretical or confined to paper; they are actively present and visible in the marketplace. 35.5 percent of businesses run by Indian student entrepreneurs have recorded regular sales, which is higher than the global average of 33 percent. Furthermore, approximately 31 percent of these student-led businesses with regular sales were launched in the year 2025 alone—a figure that stands at 18 percent globally.
Additionally, 41 percent of the founders who are generating regular sales launched their current startups after shutting down previous, unsuccessful ventures. Meanwhile, 42 percent of Indian student entrepreneurs are managing two or more businesses simultaneously. Dr. Puran Singh, an Associate Professor at IIT Mandi, and Dr. P. Shyama Raju, Vice-Chancellor of REVA University, have suggested that the responsibility of educational institutions is no longer limited to preparing students solely for employment.
They have proposed that, rather than merely gauging students' aspirations, colleges and universities should track how many students have actually launched a business. They further recommended inviting alumni, founders, faculty-founders, and student entrepreneurs to engage directly with students in classrooms and hostels, which would help provide students with the right direction.
A notable finding from the report is that women have shown an interest in entrepreneurship equal to that of men; however, there is a disparity when it comes to taking the initial step. Among those who aspired to become founders, 45 percent of women actually launched a business, compared to 53 percent of men.
