Determinants of environmental entrepreneurship in secondary agriculture in Assam, India

This study investigates the role of secondary agriculture in the form of an environmental entrepreneurship in addressing persistent global challenges. While industry and academia increasingly emphasize sustainable economic and ecological strategies, there remains a knowledge gap regarding the interplay between environmental identity, personal values and entrepreneurial behaviour. This study examines secondary agricultural environmental entrepreneurship in Assam, India focusing on how local entrepreneurs contribute to income enhancement, livelihood diversification, and sustainable development. A field survey of 100 rural entrepreneurs across five types of secondary-agriculture enterprises was conducted, collecting data on socio-personal, economic, communication, and psychological factors. Analysis employed descriptive statistics and backward multiple regression to identify key predictors of entrepreneurial behaviour. Results indicate that psychological traitsn—otably economic motivation and deferred gratification—are the strongest drivers of entrepreneurial behaviour (β ≈ 0.37). Value orientation and mass-media access also significantly enhance entrepreneurial traits, whereas planning ability remained relatively weak. Overall, entrepreneurs showed moderate innovativeness and risk-taking. These findings underscore the importance of both internal motivations and external resources in fostering environmental entrepreneurship. The study suggests actionable policy levers, such as investing in communication infrastructure, training, and market support systems, to leverage secondary agriculture as a sustainable pathway. Ultimately, supporting entrepreneurs’ psychological drivers alongside enabling environments is critical for catalyzing socio-economic transformation in underdeveloped regions.