Assessing the entrepreneurial motivation and intention among undergraduate agriculture and horticulture students of Annamalai University in Tamil Nadu

Introduction

Entrepreneurship has become a driving engine for economic progress and development, rural upliftment and job generation across many fields, including farming (Kuratko, 2023) [4] . In India, agripreneurship plays a vital role in reshaping agriculture by introducing new technology and methods that leads to creating rural job opportunities and boosting local livelihoods. Around 45.50% of the workforce in India involved in farming and 18.30% of GDP coming from agriculture, the sector remains central to the country's economy (Ministry of Finance, 2024) [7] . Yet, many hurdles like price swings, uncertain weather and falling youth interest pose serious threats to its long-term growth. Promoting business ideas among students studying agriculture and horticulture can spark new hope for the sector's future. Currently, India is home to more than 7,000 agritech startups, with initiatives like RKVY-RAFTAAR already backing over 1,700 of these ventures (PIB, 2024). In Tamil Nadu alone, 137 startups have received state help and the government has earmarked ₹10 crore in the 2024 -25 budget to develop agribusiness talent (Tamil Nadu Budget, 2024) [14] . Now, among the fastest-growing agritech hubs, India ranks with 19 "soonicorns" and 40 "minicorns" shaping the landscape (Inc42, 2024) [3] . Despite this growth, many students shy away from entrepreneurship due to money worries, fear of failing and not having the right guidance (Fatoki, 2023) [2] . Personal drive, belief in their own ability and support systems all play a role in shaping whether students want to start a business (Liguori & Winkler, 2023; Obschonka et al., 2023) [5,8] . Cultural influences, parental occupation and educational background also steer their choices (Solesvik, 2022) [13] . Many still see self-employment as risky or out of reach. This research focuses on uncovering what pushes or pulls agriculture and horticulture students toward entrepreneurship. Knowing what sparks their interest or holds them back will help tailor future training, mentorship programs and policy efforts that support agripreneurial thinking and action among youth.

Methodology

The study was taken up in Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai University of Cuddalore District in TamilNadu. www.extensionjournal.com Out of the ten faculty in Annamalai University, faculty of agriculture was selected based on the courses offered related to entrepreneurship. A sample size of 110 undergraduate students from agriculture and horticulture was selected by using random sampling technique. The entrepreneurial motivation and intension were consisting of five dimensions and they were student's entrepreneurial intensions, student's personal attribute, student's entrepreneurial attitude, student's self-efficacy and factors inhibiting student's entrepreneurship intension. The procedure was developed to measure the dimensions of entrepreneurship motivation and intension. The respondents were requested to answer each dimension in alternative response of agree, disagree and undesired. The scoring procedure was 3,2 and 1. Further, mean was worked out to make interpretations simple and easy. And also, to find out over all mean for major dimensions for clearcut understanding about entrepreneurial motivation and intension among the students of agriculture and horticulture in Annamalai University. In this study involved no invasive procedures. Also, Informed consent was obtained from all participants.

Findings and discussion

Entrepreneurial motivation and intention of agricultural and horticultural undergraduate students

The objective of the investigation is to assess the entrepreneurial motivation and intension of undergraduate students from agriculture and horticulture departments. The results are obtained in this regard are presented in the table 1 to table 6.

Student's entrepreneurial intensions

Entrepreneurial intension refers to a student's conscious decision and plan to students' conscious decision and plan to start a new business or venture. The intention of the respondents was measured and shown in the table 1. The results from Table 1 represents that, the entrepreneurial intensions of the students based on the mean score of five key statements. The highest average (2.77) indicates that many students considered the own business is a better alternative than serving an employer. This proposition is evidenced by their faith in their own abilities (2.68), their active pursuit of new opportunities (2.67) and their determination to be self-employed in future with mean score of 2.64. This suggests that the respondents who has selfconfidence, recognize the potential benefits of entrepreneurship. The lowest score (2.60) was recorded for the willingness to take risks. This indicates a cautious attitude among respondents, that may possibly due to financial insecurity or fear of failure factors that often determine individuals from initiating new ventures. Overall, the average mean of entrepreneurial intension among respondents is 2.67. it reveals a moderately strong entrepreneurial intention among the respondents. While the findings reveal an encouraging level of interest in entrepreneurship among respondents, it also highlights certain areas, such as risk-taking, where targeted support or training might enhance the respondents' readiness to pursue entrepreneurial careers more actively. These findings are in agreement with the findings of Doda (2021) [1] who also reported that similar findings in his study.

Student's personal attribute

The student's personal attributes are the unique characteristics, qualities and traits that define an individual student's personality, behaviour and approach to particular situations related to enterprise. The results obtained in this regard are presented in table 2. 2021) [1] who also reported that similar findings in his study.

Student's entrepreneurial attitude

An entrepreneurial attitude is a mindset characterised by a student's willingness to take risks, recognize opportunities for innovation and a belief in one's ability to create and manage a business or enterprise. The attitude of the respondents was measured and shown in the table 3. 2021) [1] who also reported tht similar findings in his study.

Student's self-efficacy

It refers to an individual or students' belief in their capacity to succeed in specific situations and achieve desired entrepreneurial goals. The data was analysed and the results are presented in table 4. 2021) [1] who also reported that similar findings in his study

Factors inhibiting student's entrepreneurship intension

In this section the researcher to identify the what are all the factors inhibiting the student's entrepreneurial intensions. The relevant data regarding the factors inhibiting the student's entrepreneurial intensions were presented in table 5. The data observed from the Table 5 reveals that, the several barriers which making it tough for respondents to move forward with their entrepreneurial goals. The biggest factor which inhibits entrepreneurial intension and motivation among most of the respondents are seems to be getting startup money (2.75), which clearly states that the financial support is a major concern. Majority of respondents also feel that they don't get enough proper education related to entrepreneurship (2.73) and face cultural or family pressure to choose safer and formal jobs than startups (2.73). These findings reveals that the limited exposure to practical knowledge about business and prevailing societal expectations, significantly hinder entrepreneurship, particularly in environments where formal employment is considered to be more safe and secure or respectable. Worries about failing or losing money (2.71) and not knowing if the market is ready for their ideas (2.70), add to their hesitation. High initial investment costs and expenses received a mean of 2.69, showing that the financial demands involved in launching and managing an enterprise are considerable obstacles. Alongside this, both lack of networking opportunities with potential investors and limited access to technological resources and infrastructure also scored 2.68, suggesting that access to support systems, both human and technical, is limited. The difficulty in balancing entrepreneurship with personal responsibilities (2.66) suggests that role strain is another barrier, particularly for an individual's managing households or other personal commitments. Lack of mentorship and guidance from experienced entrepreneurs (2.63), key factor in inhibiting entrepreneurship motivation among respondents. Guidance from experienced entrepreneurs to beginners during the early stages of business play a critical role in success. Lastly, difficulty in obtaining necessary licenses and permits scored the lowest mean of 2.61. Although relatively lower mean when compared to other factors, it still presents a bureaucratic challenge that can slow down or discourage new startups. Overall, with an average mean of 2.69, these findings reflect a combination of financial, educational, emotional, institutional and social constraints. Addressing these multifaceted challenges through supportive policies, training programs and community engagement could significantly encourage entrepreneurial participation. This finding is in agreement with the findings of Doda, 2021 [1] who also reported that similar findings in his study. 2021) [1] & Sanketh (2020) [12] who also reported that similar findings in his study

Limitations and future scope

This study was more insightful and has certain limitations. It was confined to a single institution with a relatively small sample size of 110 students, which may restrict the generalization of findings to a wider student population. This analysis relied mainly on descriptive statistics such as mean scores, which, though useful for interpretation, may not capture deeper causal relationships.

Conclusion

Thus, findings form this study shows that the undergraduate students in agriculture and horticulture have a growing interest in starting their own businesses, driven by confidence in their abilities and a wish for independence. Even though, they face many real obstacles like difficulty in getting financial support, lack of experienced mentors and pressure to choose safer jobs. To overcome these kind of obstacles, regular training programs, engaging workshops and informative seminars from intellectuals who are successful on entrepreneurship are vital key they help students build practical knowledge, skills and courage to venture out. Moreover, government policies and support systems must be strengthened and designed to meet these young entrepreneurs' specific needs, offering financial help, guidance and infrastructure. This research plays a crucial role by uncovering the true feelings and challenges of students, paving the way for more focused actions to inspire and equip the next generation of agricultural entrepreneurs.

References

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