Ph.D. Thesis Colloquium
Mrs. Prachi Pratyasha
(Research Supervisor: Prof. M H Bala Subrahmanya)
Entitled:
Returnee Entrepreneurs and Tech Startups in Inda: A Study of the Determinants of their Innovation, Market Focus and Firm Performance
Venue: Seminar Hall, Department of Management Studies
Date: Friday, 4th July 2025 at 11:30 AM
Abstract
Of late, the concept of “returnee entrepreneurship” has attracted increasing attention from researchers. Returnee Entrepreneurs (REs) are individuals who have spent a minimum of two years in developed countries—either pursuing higher education or gaining professional experience—and subsequently returned to their emerging home economies to launch startups. Existing literature highlights the significant contributions of REs to their home countries, including driving economic development, creating employment and increasing wages, fostering innovation in startups, and accelerating the growth of high-tech industries. Building on this, the present study investigates returnee entrepreneurship in the Indian context. Specifically, it explores: (a) how returnee entrepreneurs differ from domestic entrepreneurs in terms of characteristics and resources; (b) whether these differences influence the degree of innovation in their startups; (c) the extent of market reach achieved by returnee-founded ventures compared to their domestic counterparts; and (d) the relative timelines for emergence, stabilization, and scaling of startups founded by returnees versus domestic entrepreneurs. The study concludes with policy and managerial recommendations aimed at fostering returnee entrepreneurship in India, derived from empirical findings.
Drawing on primary data collected through a semi-structured questionnaire from 100 tech startup founders across the major startup hubs of India and using appropriate statistical techniques, the study reveals that REs effectively combine international education, global professional experience, and diverse social capital—often supplemented by greater access to financial resources—to build ventures that exhibit broader market focus, stronger revenue performance, and scalable business models. Returnee entrepreneurs are shown to be the key drivers of innovation. Their ability to combine global exposure with localized insights enables them to deliver a higher share of innovative, first-to-market solutions. These findings suggest that while REs are a valuable asset to the entrepreneurial ecosystem in emerging economies like India, long-term gains lie in equipping entrepreneurs with cross-border perspectives.
ALL ARE WELCOME