M.K. Subin

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Entrepreneurial initiatives among repatriates often arise from the interplay between international expatriation experiences and domestic entrepreneurial ecosystems. Returning entrepreneurs leverage the financial, human, and social capital they accumulated abroad, while simultaneously navigating the challenges of reintegration and market adaptation. This study investigates the impact of expatriate-derived resources on the entrepreneurial performance of repatriates in India. Primary data were collected from 420 repatriate entrepreneurs registered with District Industries Centers across India, using a multi-stage random sampling approach. The survey, conducted between January and June 2025, employed confirmatory factor analysis, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression techniques to assess the impact of acquired resources on business outcomes. The results indicate that entrepreneurial performance is significantly shaped by financial, social, and human capital, with human capital exerting the strongest positive effect (β = 0.349, p < 0.001), followed by social capital (β = 0.292, p < 0.001) and financial capital (β = 0.185, p < 0.001). Collectively, these factors explain 59% of the variance in entrepreneurial performance. The results indicate that the knowledge and expertise acquired from abroad, financial capital mobilized, and social networks developed tend to foster entrepreneurial performance. Thus, the findings advance the understanding of repatriate entrepreneurship and highlight strategic pathways for enhancing returnees’ contributions to domestic economic development.

Acknowledgment
This study was made possible through the support of repatriate entrepreneurs, who provided timely data during the survey, as well as the University library.