Entrepreneurship education in India: an assessment of SME training needs against current practices

Abstract

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are known to be vulnerable due to liabilities of 'newness' as well as 'smallness'. Naturally, there is a strong conviction among policy-makers, researchers, trainers and consultants that SMEs need support for their survival and growth, particularly the education and training support for building their internal capabilities. Paradoxically, however, there is no such felt need for education and training among the SMEs, as was revealed in a survey in India. This paper reports on the findings of this survey, explores the reasons for such apathy to education and training among SMEs, discusses the international best practices in the field and proposes a model for entrepreneurship education, which should not only focus on facilitating the task environment but also the general environment – latter for the development of innovative individuals and the former for channelling their innovativeness into business start-ups. Thus, education has a dual role in promoting entrepreneurship.