Promoting Social Inclusion through Digital Entrepreneurship: Insights from Marginalized Communities in Chennai

Abstract

The rise of digital technology has created new business opportunities, especially in cities where more and more people can get online. Digital entrepreneurship can
make a big difference in poor areas like Chennai by giving people other ways to make money, learn new skills, and move up in their careers. But not everyone benefits
equally from digital accessibility, Institutional assistance, digital literacy and access to digital infrastructure are just a few of the things that can make it easier for
people from low-income backgrounds to participate in and benefit from the digital economy. Digital entrepreneurship functions as a conduit for broader
socioeconomic integration, rather than merely a means of income generation, enabling marginalised individuals to gain recognition, participate in networks, and
capitalise on new opportunities. This study investigates the impact of digital tool accessibility, digital literacy, and outside assistance networks on the social inclusion
of marginalised online entrepreneurs in Chennai. We used purposive and snowball sampling to get data from 112 people, and IBM SPSS 23 to analyse it. We used
descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, One-Way ANOVA and logistic regression. The results and recommendations aim to identify key enablers and barriers in
the pursuit of inclusive digital entrepreneurship in order to provide valuable insights to entrepreneurs, policymakers and support organisations working towards a
digitally empowered and equitable socioeconomic development.