Shillong, Oct 21: More than one in five Indian college students has already started a business, matching the global average, according to the GUESSS India 2025 report released by IIT Mandi.
The national survey of 25,783 students from over 1,200 institutions across 34 states and UTs found that 43 in 100 students want to start a business — same as the global average. Of those who started, 35.5 per cent already earn regular sales, ahead of the global 33 per cent.
The report, authored by Dr Puran Singh and Prerak Sharma and launched at ISBACON 2026 in Mohali recently, shows a clear shift in career preference. Students wanting to run their own business right after studies rose from 14 per cent in 2023 to 16.2 per cent in 2025, while those wanting a government job fell from 12.7 per cent to 10.1 per cent.
Preference for large company jobs also fell from 31.3 per cent to 27.4 per cent.
Indian student founders are quicker to act and retry. 31 per cent of businesses with regular sales were founded in 2025 alone (global: 18per cent) 41per cent founders have closed an earlier venture and started again (global: 33per cent) and 42 per cent run two or more businesses (global: 25 per cent).
“India’s students are as ambitious as any in the world, and those who start are building real businesses that already hire people,” said Dr Puran Singh, Associate Professor, School of Management, IIT Mandi and Country Delegate, GUESSS India.
The findings show IT, AI and digital is the most common plan, but only one in ten running businesses is digital. Students with founders in their circle are three times more likely to start.
The report also flagged gaps — half of Indian students know no entrepreneur beyond parents, only 10 per cent of nascent founders have made a first sale (global 23 per cent), and while women plan almost as often as men, only 45 per cent of women aspirants have started against 53 per cent of men.
The study was conducted with REVA University, Bengaluru as National Partner.
