Assessing Predictors of Entrepreneurial Intentions among STEM Students of Punjab, India

Research on college students’ entrepreneurial intentions remains fragmented, with limited integrated analysis of influencing mechanisms. This study examines social, psychological, entrepreneurial, and financial factors shaping entrepreneurial intention among STEM students, drawing on emotional theory, the Theory of Planned Behaviour, and cognitive entrepreneurship theory. Survey data were collected from STEM students in major cities of Punjab India, yielding 345 valid responses. Using variance-based Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), the results show that economic and psychological motives and the need for achievement significantly mediate entrepreneurial intention, while entrepreneurial and psychological motives have moderate effects and social motives show mixed influences. These findings highlight key drivers of entrepreneurial intention and support the need for policies and educational strategies that promote entrepreneurship among STEM students in developing countries.