Entrepreneurship Education in South Asia: A Critical Regional Review of Policy, Pedagogy, Ecosystems and Inclusion

Abstract

Entrepreneurship education has become increasingly prominent across South Asia as governments and higher education institutions seek to promote innovation, employability, self-employment, and entrepreneurial capability. However, evidence from different regions is still inconsistent, and simply offering more entrepreneurship courses does not guarantee better entrepreneurial learning or successful ventures. Building on previous regional policy analyses, this article critically synthesizes entrepreneurship education in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, focusing on developments since 2018 and incorporating evidence available through 2026. The review is organized around five recurring dimensions: policy commitment, institutional provision, curriculum and pedagogy, entrepreneurial ecosystem integration, and gender and social inclusion. The literature on India and Pakistan highlights relatively well-developed policy and institutional frameworks, whereas recent research on Bangladesh points to persistent challenges related to curriculum design, institutional collaboration, and the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem. Emerging evidence from Bangladesh and the Maldives further expands the discussion beyond entrepreneurial intention by emphasizing employability, entrepreneurial skills, and capability development. However, the available evidence from Afghanistan, Bhutan, Nepal, and some areas of Sri Lanka is limited or only covers certain institutions. Because of this, it is not appropriate to make strong cross-national rankings. Across the region, a common lesson emerges: effective entrepreneurship education depends less on the formal presence of courses than on the quality of learning, educator capability, institutional support, experiential opportunities, ecosystem connections, and contextual relevance. Based on the comparative synthesis, this article introduces a provisional Regional Entrepreneurship Education Strengthening Framework that emphasizes policy-to-practice alignment, institutional capability, experiential pedagogy, ecosystem connectivity, and inclusive participation.