The micro, small and medium enterprise sector plays a crucial role in Kerala’s rural economy and makes a substantial contribution to socio-economic development and job creation. This study explores business continuity intentions among women-led micro enterprises in rural Kerala, using thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with six units from agro-processing, dairy and fisheries sectors. Drawing insights from qualitative data, this study uses the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to show that continuity intentions are strongly influenced by perceived behavioural control, strong family support, and positive attitudes. However, institutional inefficiencies and financial limitations create significant obstacles. This study also introduces ‘Team-led resilience’ and ‘Gendered leadership dynamics’ as critical factors, highlighting collaborative support and autonomous female leadership. These findings highlight the importance of financial literacy, access to credit, and supportive government policies, which will also help to expand the traditional TPB framework, emphasizing the importance of social and financial resilience.