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Research Paper | Management | Volume 15 Issue 3, March 2026 | Pages: 604 - 614 | India
Managing Growth Under Resource Constraints: A Qualitative Study of Growth Narratives in Indian Consumer Startups
Abstract: In?a hurried market, consumer startups in India work in a market that?s fast-growing yet fickle in funding and puts undue pressure on them to scale. Growth narratives are generally cast in terms of capital influx and market?gain, but for many startups, the ability to expand is tied tightly to resource constraints. These include financial resource restraints, operational resource restraints, and capability resource restraints. The following paper will explore the manner in which the founders of Indian consumer startups construct?and mobilise growth narratives in negotiation with constraints. Taking a?qualitative case narrative approach, the study is guided by the online availability of in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted with founders and senior executives juxtaposed against archival data from media transcripts, investor correspondence, and company reports. The results show that growth under conditions of constraint is more than just a strategic?reaction, but can be interpreted as an identity-related and interpretative process. Entrepreneurs describe constraints?as discipline devices, justifying the apparatus of legitimacy and sparks for innovation. Two separate internal and external growth stories are told, revealing tensions around sustainable scaling?versus investor demands. These?are the narratives that inform strategic adjustments, resource distribution and organisational identity. In addition to it, the research adds to entrepreneurship theory by framing growth as narrated growth?- a product of resource constraints - rather than just economic outcomes. From a practical perspective, the results provide implications for founders and investors who are focused?on sustainable growth routes in emerging market environments.
Keywords: Indian consumer startups, resource constraints, growth narratives, qualitative narrative analysis, emerging markets
How to Cite?: Samarth Arora, "Managing Growth Under Resource Constraints: A Qualitative Study of Growth Narratives in Indian Consumer Startups", Volume 15 Issue 3, March 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 604-614, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR26308230828, DOI: https://dx.dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR26308230828