Start a Business in India with Little Money

In partnership with

Use AI as Your Personal Assistant

Ready to embrace a new era of task delegation?

HubSpot’s highly anticipated AI Task Delegation Playbook is your key to supercharging your productivity and saving precious time.

Learn how to integrate AI technology into your processes, allowing you to optimize resource allocation and maximize output with precision and ease.

Download Now!

Starting a business in India with little money is like making pani puri at home – you don’t need expensive ingredients, just the right mix of aloo and ambition.

The secret recipe?

A blend of creativity, low-cost strategies, and frugality. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Sell Skills, Not Stuff

You don’t need capital if you are the capital.

Selling your skills means zero investment and 100% profit. Are you good at something? Writing, designing, cooking, coding, or even giving life advice (hello, therapists)? 

Convert that skill into a service.

Example: Imagine if you own a computer and can write killer resumes. Start offering resume-writing services to fresh grads in your locality for ₹200-₹500 per resume.

Zero cost, all profit. Boom, you’ve got a business!

2. Start an Online Business (Because Rent is Expensive)

Leverage the internet, my friend. E-commerce is like doing a dhaba business without paying rent for the dhaba.

Platforms like Shopify, Amazon, or even WhatsApp are your digital storefronts. No need for a physical store, inventory, or employees.

Example: You make awesome homemade pickles (the kind that even makes your annoying aunt say "Wah!"). Start an Instagram page, post videos of your pickle-making process, and sell them online.

The only investment is ingredients and some good lighting (natural sunlight for the win).

3. Drop-shipping – The Classic Jugaad

Drop-shipping is the best business idea if you have zero rupees to spare. You sell products online without holding inventory.

How? You list a product on your website, and when someone buys it, the supplier ships it directly to the customer.

You’re just the middleman with the least amount of risk (half the Indian economy does this flipping business, seriously google it).

Example: Let’s say you find a vendor on Indiamart selling quirky mobile covers at ₹50 apiece. List them on your website for ₹150. Someone buys it, you forward the order to the supplier, and they ship it directly.

You pocket ₹100 without touching a single mobile cover.

4. Start a Side Hustle (Without Quitting Your Job)

Why burn your entire savings? Start something on the side while keeping your day job, at least until your side hustle becomes your main hustle.

Example: Let’s say you’re a graphic designer working 9-5 in an IT Park. Start offering logo designs on freelance platforms like Fiverr or Upwork in the evenings.

A ₹1,000 logo job here and there will slowly snowball into a steady stream of clients.

5. Freelancing Platforms – The Gig Economy Lifeline

Freelancing platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr are like the streets of Sarojini Nagar – you can find a gig for anything and everything. Graphic design, writing, digital marketing, SEO, translation – whatever your skill, there's someone who will pay for it.

Example: If you're a digital marketing expert from a tier 3 city like Kolhapur, you can start bidding for small jobs that pay ₹4,000-₹8,000 a month. That’s some serious pocket money for a biryani addict like me.

6. Affiliate Marketing – Earn Without Owning a Product

If you’re good at talking (or writing) about things, affiliate marketing is like being a salesman without leaving your house.

You promote products and earn a commission for every sale made through your referral link.

Example: Let’s say you’ve got a YouTube channel that reviews smartphones. Sign up for an affiliate program with Amazon or Flipkart. Every time someone buys a phone through your link, you get a commission.

It’s like getting paid for recommending food to your friends, but on a bigger scale.

7. Local Services – Tap into Hyperlocal Needs

In tier 2 and 3 cities, there are hyperlocal needs that often go unnoticed. Tap into those. It can be something as simple as car cleaning, house cleaning, or even delivery services.

The idea is to provide services that make life easier for the people in your locality.

Example: If you’re living in a small town, why not start a delivery service for home-cooked tiffins?

You don’t need a kitchen; you just need a scooter and some hungry office-goers who are tired of the same old canteen food.

8. Content Creation – Use Your Phone to Make Money

Do you have a smartphone? Then you’ve got a mini business factory in your hand. Start creating content – be it TikTok-style videos, Instagram Reels, or YouTube tutorials.

Once you gain followers, you can monetize through ads, sponsorships, or even selling your own products.

Example: Imagine you’re a small-town guy who knows how to make the perfect dosa. You start a YouTube channel on "Dosa Tactics" and post quirky videos.

Suddenly, you’ve got 10,000 subscribers, and local restaurants want to sponsor your content.

9. Jugaad Innovations

Indian entrepreneurs are known for their jugaad – low-cost innovations that solve real problems.

If you can identify a problem, solve it creatively, and market it well, you’ve got a business!

Example: There was a guy in Gujarat who made a refrigerator out of clay! No electricity needed. He sold it for a fraction of the cost of a normal fridge and made a killing in rural markets where power cuts are a daily thing.

Final Pro Tip: Brand It Like a Pro

Branding is not about having a fancy logo or slogan. It’s about owning a space in people's minds.

Think of Amul – their branding is so simple, but the minute you see a catchy cartoon ad, you know it's them.

For your business, keep your branding simple, memorable, and relatable.

So, there you go – starting a business with little money is like making chai without a stove. All you need is the right ingredients and a bit of fire in your belly. 😂