Entrepreneurship has emerged as an important driver of economic development, employment generation, innovation, and social transformation in both developed and developing economies. In India, entrepreneurship development has gained considerable attention through government initiatives such as Startup India, Stand-Up India, and various state-level startup policies. Educational institutions, particularly universities and postgraduate departments, are increasingly recognized as important centres for nurturing entrepreneurial skills, creativity, and innovation among students. The present study examines the entrepreneurial readiness among postgraduate students in Odisha using secondary data collected from government reports, academic journals, institutional publications, entrepreneurship ecosystem reports, and policy documents.

The study focuses on important dimensions such as entrepreneurial awareness, risk-taking ability, innovation and creativity, entrepreneurial intention, and institutional support systems. The findings reveal that postgraduate students in Odisha possess considerable academic knowledge, creative potential, and innovative thinking abilities. However, practical entrepreneurial participation among students remains limited due to factors such as fear of financial uncertainty, lack of mentoring support, inadequate exposure to startup ecosystems, and insufficient incubation facilities.

The study further identifies significant gaps in entrepreneurship-related infrastructure within higher education institutions in Odisha. Although government initiatives and startup support programs have improved awareness levels, institutional implementation and practical entrepreneurial training remain inadequate in many universities and colleges. The study suggests that entrepreneurship education should be integrated into postgraduate curricula, incubation centres should be expanded, and industry–academia collaboration should be strengthened to improve entrepreneurial readiness among students.