Authors: Sriram Harish, Deepak Veera, Aanya Mayor, Raghav Shandilya, Tony John
Abstract: This study compares the financial Return on Investment (ROI) of undergraduate college graduates and informal street vendors in urban India. Drawing on survey data from 435 graduates and 89 vendors, one sample t-tests reveal that street vendors achieve a mean ROI of 1,611%, nearly six times the 271% recorded by graduates, though with substantially higher variance. Multiple linear regression confirms that capital investment suppresses ROI while income is its primary positive driver. An independent samples t-test further identifies a significant gender gap in graduate ROI. The findings challenge prevailing assumptions about educational returns and call for policy recognition of informal entrepreneurship as a legitimate economic pathway.
