CHALLENGES FACED BY YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS IN BENGALURU URBAN A Systematic Review of Financial, Skills, Social and Institutional Barriers

Abstract

Young entrepreneurship is an important contributor to employment creation, innovation, income generation, and local economic development. However, young entrepreneurs often face several challenges when establishing and sustaining their businesses, particularly in accessing financial resources, developing entrepreneurial skills, and obtaining adequate institutional and social support. This article reviews the challenges faced by young entrepreneurs, focusing on financial, skills-related, social, market, and institutional barriers. The review explores the major challenges identified in the literature and examines how these factors may influence business creation, growth, and sustainability across different economic and social contexts. The review conceptualises entrepreneurial barriers as interconnected challenges involving access to finance, entrepreneurial and managerial skills, professional networks, market opportunities, institutional support, infrastructure, and perceived business risks. It also considers the influence of social attitudes, limited work experience, and inadequate awareness of support programmes on entrepreneurial development. The review highlights the importance of understanding how these barriers interact and identify the need for coordinated support through financial assistance, practical training, mentoring, market connections, and accessible institutional guidance. The review provides a descriptive thematic synthesis of the available literature on the challenges faced by young entrepreneurs. The findings highlight the interconnected nature of financial, skills-related, social, market, and institutional barriers. However, the available material does not establish a complete database search and study-selection process, which limits the comprehensiveness and reproducibility of the review.