Article
Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Dynamics: Strategic Business Planning, Venture Financing, and Scalable Growth
This study investigates the dynamic interplay among strategic business planning, venture financing, and scalable growth within the Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem. Drawing on a quantitative survey of 412 startups and growth-stage ventures spanning six major Indian metropolitan regions, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad, Pune, and Chennai, this research employs first-order Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) using PLS-SEM via SmartPLS 4.0 to test a theoretically grounded measurement and structural model. The independent variables, Strategic Business Planning (SBP), Venture Financing Accessibility (VFA), Regulatory Environment Quality (REQ), and Digital Infrastructure Readiness (DIR), are hypothesised to influence the dependent variables of Entrepreneurial Performance (EP) and Scalable Growth Orientation (SGO). Composite reliability values ranged from 0.872 to 0.946, and Average Variance Extracted (AVE) exceeded 0.50 for all constructs, confirming convergent validity. Discriminant validity was established through HTMT ratios and Fornell–Larcker criterion. The structural model explains 61.3% of variance in Scalable Growth Orientation and 54.7% in Entrepreneurial Performance. All four paths from independent constructs to dependent constructs were statistically significant at p < 0.001. Strategic Business Planning emerges as the strongest predictor (β = 0.412, p < 0.001), followed by Venture Financing Accessibility (β = 0.337, p < 0.001). The findings offer actionable insights for policymakers, venture capitalists, incubators, and startup founders navigating the unique institutional and infrastructural landscape of India's ₹7.4 trillion startup economy.