Bangalore’s IT entrepreneurial ecosystem: a systemic and evolutionary understanding from Latin America

ABSTRACT Bangalore’s IT entrepreneurial ecosystem boomed in the 2010s. However, its recent development is the result of an accumulative process of capacities building. The objective of this article is to analyze this process from systemic and evolutionary perspective, inspired by some Latin American contributions. This study adopted a single in-depth case study design based on more than 20 semi-structured interviews with key actors of Bangalore’s IT entrepreneurial ecosystem. This approach allows us to identify and reflect on the different long-term, multi-level and context specific processes, events and actors that influenced the configuration of Bangalore’s IT entrepreneurial ecosystem, pointing out some systemic and structural constraints that may hinder its further development. The idea of structural heterogeneity is introduced in the entrepreneurship literature to denote the coexistence of a vibrant nucleus of entrepreneurial activity surrounded by certain underdeveloped systemic conditions. Finally, by introducing several Indian contributions, this study helps to deepen the dialogue between Asian and Latin American scholars to develop a research agenda on innovation and entrepreneurial systems giving account of the Global South development challenges.