About
Center for Research in Entrepreneurial Finance and Economics
Evidence-based economic research empowering entrepreneurs and startup ecosystems through informed policymaking
Who We Are
In India, entrepreneurs and startups play a vital role in economic development by fostering innovation, generating employment, and supporting structural transformation. With a young population, expanding digital infrastructure, and growing integration with global markets, startup founders and entrepreneurs serve as engines of inclusive and sustainable growth.
Indian entrepreneurs and startup founders have leveraged digital public infrastructure, such as Aadhaar, UPI, and the India Stack, to lower entry barriers, scale startups rapidly, and expand access to goods and services. High-growth startups led by entrepreneurs in sectors including information technology, fintech, health tech, e-commerce, and renewable energy have contributed significantly to job creation and productivity improvement.
However, entrepreneurial dynamism and startup ecosystems in India face several challenges. Startup activity remains regionally concentrated in a few urban hubs, while a large share of entrepreneurship is subsistence-oriented. Entrepreneurs and startup founders face limited access to finance, skill mismatches, regulatory complexity, and rising market concentration that constrain the emergence of high-growth startup enterprises.
“Startups and entrepreneurs exhibit up-or-out dynamics. While many new startups fail within the first few years, a small fraction of high-growth entrepreneurs and startup founders accounts for substantial employment growth and productivity gains. Firm age, rather than size, is the key determinant in startup success.”
Mission
What We Do
The Economic Forum serves as a dedicated platform to bridge economic research and policy action. We bring together policymakers, researchers, entrepreneurs, startup founders, angel investors, venture capitalists, industry leaders, and civil society stakeholders to facilitate informed dialogue on startup ecosystems, promote evidence-based decision-making for entrepreneurs, and generate actionable policy recommendations supporting entrepreneurial growth and startup success.
Vision
Where We're Headed
To contribute to building a resilient, competitive, and forward-looking entrepreneurial economy through continuous engagement with startup founders, knowledge sharing on entrepreneurial ecosystems, and analytical rigor. By focusing on economic research, startup development, entrepreneur support, innovation, and inclusive growth, we aim to strengthen institutional capacity for entrepreneurs and foster entrepreneurial dynamism in startup ecosystems.
Objectives
Strategic Priorities
Economic Research
Conduct rigorous analysis grounded in econometric modeling, predictive analytics, and evidence-based insights to understand economic conditions and anticipate future challenges.
Policy Development
Minimize policy risks and strengthen governance quality by analyzing past interventions and modeling potential outcomes for informed, sustainable strategies.
Entrepreneur & Startup Collaboration
Build bridges between entrepreneurs, startup founders, academia, government, industry, and civil society to create synergies and facilitate informed dialogue on startup challenges and entrepreneurial ecosystem development.
Startup Ecosystems & Entrepreneurship
Study high-growth startups, entrepreneur success patterns, digital infrastructure impacts on startup scaling, and address challenges entrepreneurs face: regional concentration of startup activity, entrepreneur finance access, and regulatory complexity affecting startup growth.
Data & Analytics
Support budgeting and resource allocation through accurate, timely data to direct public resources toward sectors with greatest impact.
Institutional Capacity
Strengthen analytical capabilities and foster continuous learning to support resilient, competitive, and sustainable economic development.
Team
Multidisciplinary Expertise
Our team comprises economists, policy analysts, and researchers committed to excellence in evidence-based research.
Core Values
Intellectual Rigor
We maintain the highest standards of academic and analytical excellence, employing robust methodologies and subjecting our work to rigorous peer review.
Policy Relevance
Our research directly addresses pressing policy questions, translating complex findings into actionable recommendations for decision-makers.
Independence & Objectivity
We conduct our research with complete intellectual independence, free from political or commercial influence, guided solely by evidence and analytical integrity.
Collaboration
We believe in the power of partnership, actively engaging with diverse stakeholders to co-create knowledge and drive meaningful change.
Innovation
We embrace new methodologies, technologies, and approaches to economic research, continuously evolving to address emerging challenges.