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45-Year-Old with 1 Lakh Rupees: What Startup Can I Start for a Better Future?

Chocko

Chocko Valliappa  |539 Answers  |Ask -

Tech Entrepreneur, Educationist - Answered on Sep 16, 2024

Chocko Valliappa is the founder and CEO of Vee Technologies, a global IT services company; HireMee, a talent assessment and talent management start-up; and vice chairman of The Sona Group of education institutions.
A fourth-generation entrepreneur, Valliappa is a member of Confederation of Indian Industry, Nasscom, Entrepreneurs Organization and Young Presidents’ Organization.
He was honoured by the YPO with their Global Social Impact award in 2018.
An alumnus of Christ College, Bangalore, Valliappa holds a degree in textile technology and management from the South India Textile Research Association. His advanced research in the Czech Republic led to the creation of innovative polyester spinning machinery.... more
Asked by Anonymous - Sep 13, 2024Hindi
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Dear Sir,I am 45 year old married with one 10 years son. I have only one lakh rupee in my hand as saving. No loan. Now what startup I can start for better future. Please suggest. Thanks in advance.

Ans: This scanty information is not enough to share any meaningful advice. Do share your qualifications, experience, interest in start up--and of what kind. What is your current salary?
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Harsh

Harsh Bharwani  | Answer  |Ask -

Entrepreneurship Expert - Answered on Dec 20, 2024

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my son has completed bba from Bangalore. I can invest around 15 lakhs and iam based in cochin . could u suggest some start up idea ramakant garg
Ans: Since your son has completed his BBA from Bangalore, it is important to align the startup idea with his interests and skills. Start by discussing whether he is interested in pursuing business or further studies. If he is excited to start a venture, his BBA background puts him in a good position for management roles, while Cochin offers opportunities in growing sectors like IT, tourism, and sustainability. Here are some startup ideas that focus on future growth and revenue potential:

First: IT Services or Digital Marketing Agency
If your son is tech-savvy and he is interested in the IT sector, so starting a digital marketing agency or IT services company could be a great choice. Because Cochin has a growing market of small enterprises and medium businesses seeking online visibility through media. You can offer services like social media management, branding, website development and paid marketing. With minimal infrastructure costs and the potential to scale, this business can deliver steady revenue growth.

Second: Eco-Friendly Product Store
With growing awareness about sustainability, a business focused on eco-friendly products such as biodegradable tableware, reusable bags or organic skincare products can be profitable. Cochin residents and tourists alike show a growing preference for sustainable options. This business combines ethical impact with financial potential.

Third: Tourism and Hospitality Services
Given Cochin's appeal as a tourist destination, tourism businesses offering curated travel experiences such as heritage tours, houseboat rentals or adventure packages could flourish even more. This industry has strong revenue potential and scope for expansion, especially with creative offerings.

Fourth: Franchise Business
Investing in a franchise in sectors such as food and beverage, education institutions or wholesale/retail offers the benefit of an established business model. For example, partnering with a recognised brand in education technology or quick-service restaurants can lead to steady growth with low risk.

Fifth: Co-Working Space
If your son is interested in real estate and the workspace sector, starting a co-working space could be a promising venture. With Cochin becoming a startup hub, demand for flexible office spaces is on the rise. This business can provide consistent revenue through memberships.

Before finalizing any idea, conduct a market analysis to identify gaps in the local market. Your son’s active involvement will not only ensure the business aligns with his passion but will also help in building a sustainable venture for long-term growth and success.

..Read more

Adarsh

Adarsh Rai  | Answer  |Ask -

HR, Leadership coach - Answered on Jul 03, 2025

Asked by Anonymous - Jun 11, 2025Hindi
Career
Hi. I am currently 29. Married with no kids. Wife not earning. Planning for a kid this year. Monthly earning 60k post tax. Have savings of 2 lakhs. Have personal loan of 9 lakhs. Monthly expenses 40k including emi's. I have lost interest in job and I don't want to work anymore. I want to do business which can give monthly 50 to 60k income. Max I can invest 2lakhs. Is there any business which I can start with 2 lakhs and generate monthly income of 60k ? I am frustrated with working under an employer. I want to start my own venture. Please suggest.
Ans: Spandan, pause before you mail the resignation.

Your maths
60 k take-home
40 k spends (15 k of that is EMI on a 9 L loan)
→ 20 k buffer

A newborn will nudge monthly costs up by 8-10 k. Cash cushion shrinks fast.

So the plan must earn while you learn, not leap blind.

Keep the paycheck six more months.
Use evenings to test micro-ideas. Risk stays capped at ?0 for now.

Choose a “cash-this-month” niche, not a moon-shot.
Pick work that turns inventory ≤ ?50 k into sales inside 30 days.

Tiffin + office snacks (two dishes, 40 boxes) - ?25 k utensils, ?10 k FSSAI, ?5 k flyers - ?120 per box × 40 = ?4.8 k /day

Amazon / Flipkart reselling (phone cases, cables) ?40 k stock, ?15 k ads 25 % net margin on ?2 L monthly sales = ?50 k

Weekend print-on-demand & personalised gifting kiosk ?45 k heat-press kit (other options are there too) ?300 profit per mug × 200 pcs → ?60 k Bring Your Mug - Take Away Memories.

Local social-media management for clinics & salons ?0 gear, ?3 k Canva Pro ?8 k-?12 k per client; 6 clients hit target

None need heavy staff or rent. All can run beside your day job.

Set one simple goal: ?15 k profit by Day-30.
Hit it twice, raise target to ?35 k. Only when side income beats salary three months straight do you quit.

This is critical - Plug leaks early. Refinance personal loan to longer tenor; shave EMI to ~?10 k.

Park 1 L of savings in an emergency account—no touch.Skill up tiny, daily.
Watch a YouTube on ad copy, take a WhatsApp course on GST filings. Low cost, immediate payback.

Start small, sell fast, reinvest every rupee. Freedom comes, but by steps, not by one loud jump.

..Read more

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Nayagam P

Nayagam P P  |10854 Answers  |Ask -

Career Counsellor - Answered on Dec 14, 2025

Asked by Anonymous - Dec 12, 2025Hindi
Career
Hello, I am currently in Class 12 and preparing for JEE. I have not yet completed even 50% of the syllabus properly, but I aim to score around '110' marks. Could you suggest an effective strategy to achieve this? I know the target is relatively low, but I have category reservation, so it should be sufficient.
Ans: With category reservation (SC/ST/OBC), a score of 110 marks is absolutely achievable and realistic. Based on 2025 data, SC candidates qualified with approximately 60-65 percentile, and ST candidates with 45-55 percentile. Your target requires scoring just 37-40% marks, which is significantly lower than general category standards. This gives you a genuine advantage. Immediate Action Plan (December 2025 - January 2026): 4-5 Weeks. Week 1-2: High-Weightage Chapter Focus. Stop trying to complete the entire syllabus. Instead, focus exclusively on high-scoring chapters that carry maximum weightage: Physics (Modern Physics, Current Electricity, Work-Power-Energy, Rotation, Magnetism), Chemistry (Chemical Bonding, Thermodynamics, Coordination Compounds, Electrochemistry), and Maths (Integration, Differentiation, Vectors, 3D Geometry, Probability). These chapters alone can yield 80-100+ marks if practiced properly. Ignore topics you haven't studied yet. Week 2-3: Previous Year Questions (PYQs). Solve JEE Main PYQs from the last 10 years (2015-2025) for chapters you're studying. PYQs reveal question patterns and difficulty levels. Focus on understanding why answers are correct, not memorizing solutions. Week 3-4: Mock Tests & Error Analysis. Take 2-3 full-length mock tests weekly under timed conditions. This is crucial because mock tests build exam confidence, reveal time management weaknesses, and error analysis prevents repeated mistakes. Maintain an error notebook documenting every mistake—this becomes your revision guide. Week 4-5: Revision & Formula Consolidation. Create concise formula sheets for each subject. Spend 30 minutes daily reviewing formulas and key concepts. Avoid learning new topics entirely at this stage. Study Schedule (Daily): 7-8 Hours. Morning (5:00-7:30 AM): Physics concepts + 30 PYQs. Break (7:30-8:30 AM): Breakfast & rest. Mid-morning (8:30-11:00): Chemistry concepts + 20 PYQs. Lunch (11:00-1:00 PM): Full break. Afternoon (1:00-3:30 PM): Maths concepts + 30 PYQs. Evening (3:30-5:00 PM): Mock test or error review. Night (7:00-9:00 PM): Formula revision & weak area focus. Strategic Approach for 110 Marks: Attempt only confident questions and avoid negative marking by skipping difficult questions. Do easy questions first—in the exam, attempt all basic-level questions before attempting medium or hard ones. Focus on quality over quantity as 30 well-practiced questions beat 100 random questions. Master NCERT concepts as most JEE questions test NCERT concepts applied smartly. April 2026 Session Advantage. If January doesn't deliver desired results, April gives you a second chance with 3+ months to prepare. Use January as a practice attempt to identify weak areas, then focus intensively on those in February-March. Realistic Timeline: January 2026 target is 95-110 marks (achievable with focused 50% syllabus), while April 2026 target is 120-130 marks (with complete syllabus + experience). Your reservation benefit means you need only approximately 90-105 marks to qualify and secure admission to quality engineering colleges. Stop comparing yourself to general category cutoffs. Most Importantly: Consistency beats perfection. Study 6 focused hours daily rather than 12 distracted hours. Your 110-mark target is realistic—execute this plan with discipline. All the BEST for Your JEE 2026!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

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Dr Dipankar

Dr Dipankar Dutta  |1840 Answers  |Ask -

Tech Careers and Skill Development Expert - Answered on Dec 13, 2025

Asked by Anonymous - Dec 12, 2025
Career
Dear Sir/Madam, I am currently a 1st year UG student studying engineering in Sairam Engineering College, But there the lack of exposure and strict academics feels so rigid and I don't like it that. It's like they don't gaf about skills but just wants us to memorize things and score a good CGPA, the only skill they want is you to memorize things and pass, there's even special class for students who don't perform well in academics and it is compulsory for them to attend or else the student and his/her parents needs to face authorities who lashes out. My question is when did engineering became something that requires good academics instead of actual learning and skill set. In sairam they provides us a coding platform in which we need to gain the required points for each semester which is ridiculous cuz most of the students here just look at the solution to code instead of actual debugging. I am passionate about engineering so I want to learn and experiment things instead of just memorizing, so I actually consider dropping out and I want to give jee a try and maybe viteee , srmjeee But i heard some people say SRM may provide exposure but not that good in placements. I may not be excellent at studies but my marks are decent. So gimme some insights about SRM and recommend me other colleges/universities which are good at exposure
Ans: First — your frustration is valid

What you are experiencing at Sairam is not engineering, it is rote-based credential production.

“When did engineering become memorizing instead of learning?”

Sadly, this shift happened decades ago in most Tier-3 private colleges in India.

About “coding platforms & points” – your observation is sharp

You are absolutely right:

Mandatory coding points → students copy solutions

Copying ≠ learning

Debugging & thinking are missing

This is pseudo-skill education — it looks modern but produces shallow engineers.

The fact that you noticed this in 1st year already puts you ahead of 80% students.

Should you DROP OUT and prepare for JEE / VITEEE / SRMJEEE?

Although VIT/SRM is better than Sairam Engineering College, but you may face the same problem. You will not face this type of problem only in some top IITs, but getting seat in those IITs will be difficult.
Instead of dropping immediately, consider:

???? Strategy:

Stay enrolled (degree security)

Reduce emotional investment in college rules

Use:

GitHub

Open-source projects

Hackathons

Internships (remote)

Hardware / software self-projects

This way:

College = formality

Learning = self-driven

Risk = minimal

...Read more

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