In entrepreneurship, there is a meaningful difference between starting and finishing.
Ideas are plentiful. But turning an idea into something real, building a prototype, testing it in the market, and making the first sale requires persistence, teamwork, and grit. When we look at the data from Udhyam’s Youth Business Projects across states like Madhya Pradesh and Delhi, one pattern stands out clearly: all-female teams are more likely to complete the full entrepreneurial journey.
Strong participation from young women
In FY24–25, 771,468 students enrolled in Youth Business Projects. Of these, 408,993 were girls and 362,475 were boys, showing strong participation from young women across classrooms.
Participation is the first step. But what happens after students enter the program tells a more interesting story.
The finish line matters
Across states, girls’ teams consistently show a higher propensity to complete the full learning and doing journey. From team formation and ideation to business pitch presentations, prototype creation, and actual sales, all-female teams are more likely to stay the course.
In Madhya Pradesh, data from the program funnel shows that female teams are more likely to move through each stage of the entrepreneurial journey, from forming teams to submitting business pitches.
In Delhi, the pattern becomes even clearer. Girls’ teams demonstrate higher completion rates across key milestones, including presenting their business pitch, building a working prototype, and conducting real sales.
In other words, young women are not just participating in entrepreneurship programs. They are finishing what they start.
Mindset shifts that support execution
The difference also appears in shifts in entrepreneurial mindset.
In Delhi, 53% of girls showed a positive shift in grit compared to 47% of boys, while 52% of girls demonstrated an increase in self-efficacy compared to 48% of boys.
In Uttarakhand, the pattern is similar. 46% of girls showed a positive shift in grit compared to 38% of boys, and 52% of girls showed improvements in self-efficacy compared to 48% of boys.
These shifts matter. Grit and self-belief are essential traits for entrepreneurship, especially when young people face the uncertainty of building something new.
What girls choose to build
There are also interesting differences in the types of businesses students choose.
Girls are more likely to build ventures in art and craft or food-based businesses, while boys tend to explore technology and personal care businesses. Despite these differences in sectors, female teams consistently demonstrate strong follow-through across the entrepreneurial process.
Why this matters
For many young people, especially first-generation learners, entrepreneurship education is not just about business. It is about learning to take initiative, solve problems, and persist through challenges.
When young women show higher completion rates across the entrepreneurial journey, it highlights something important: given the opportunity and the right environment, girls demonstrate remarkable consistency and determination in turning ideas into action.
Celebrating the finishers
This Women’s Day, we celebrate these finishers.
The young women who move from idea to action.
The teams that stay committed through every stage of the journey.
And the students who remind us that the true power of entrepreneurship lies not only in dreaming up ideas, but in having the grit to make them real.
