Ecopreneurship – In Need of E-Learning Courses

Abstract

Introduction: In this fast-paced world, as technology has spread its wings, its deteriorating effects on mother Earth have made us re-think about conservation of resources, which further led to the concept of sustainability. With the intervention of government and initiatives to promote green businesses, the concept of ecopreneurship has come to limelight. Ecopreneurship, a child to a seemingly dissimilar pair of parents — the entrepreneurship and sustainability disciplines — is an emerging concept and a way of doing business in more environmentally friendly ways. This paper analyses the effectiveness of e-learning platforms and the ecopreneurship courses available to future leaders.

Methodology: The paper is prepared by collecting primary data through the survey method to understand the impact of ecopreneurship on students. The sampling technique used is convenience sampling, and the survey was conducted on graduates and post-graduates. Data were collected in both qualitative and quantitative forms, with qualitative data converted using Likert's scale, a rating scale used to measure opinions, attitudes or behaviors by asking respondents to choose from a series of answer options. The questionnaire included 14 questions, of which two were considered for analysis while the remaining 12 serve as supporting statements. The strength of association between the two binary variables — knowing about a course and willingness to join — was measured using Yule's Colligation Coefficient, alongside a gap analysis of ecopreneurship courses on Indian e-learning platforms.

Results & Discussion: India's e-learning market size reached US$ 7.3 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach US$ 20.8 billion by 2033, a CAGR of 12% during 2025-2033, while the e-Skill India portal records over 12.75 lakh students enrolled for 19.8 lakh courses. The gap analysis found only a few courses that specifically train an individual to become an ecopreneur: the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability graduate certificate, Ecoversity's Permaculture Design Certification, and general entrepreneurship offerings on Coursera. Platforms such as SWAYAM offer MOOCs in environmental science but no focused ecopreneurship courses, and most sustainability content is scattered under general headings. From the contingency table (a = 25, b = 2, c = 70, d = 21), Yule's Q = 0.579, indicating a moderate positive association between knowing about the course and willingness to join it, so the null hypothesis is accepted. Further, 58% of respondents have enrolled in an online course, 34.7% have heard of the PM Surya Ghar Yojana, 24% have not heard of any green energy concepts mentioned, 43.6% cite growing concern for society as the major driving factor, and 29.7% are highly keen to enrol if such courses are offered within their academics.

Conclusion: Ecopreneurship has the potential to transform India's environmental and economic future. However, the lack of targeted e-learning opportunities limits its reach. Addressing this gap with accessible, region-specific, and practical digital education will empower a new generation of sustainable entrepreneurs. As depicted using Yule's colligation coefficient, creating more awareness about ecopreneurship motivates individuals to equip themselves with the trending needs of the society, which is possible through government intervention. For India to lead in green innovation, investment in ecopreneurial education must be prioritized.