Small businesses and start-ups lie at the heart of the Indian economy, without them, our economy cannot survive. Experts say that “Sustainable development of globally competitive micro, small and medium enterprises act as an engine of growth for the Indian economy.” There are many businesses which we think might work or might not work. Here are some interesting small businesses which no one thought would grow into million-dollar enterprises. Let us have a look at some.
BYJU’S
Knowledge is the most important asset one can have, and thus, it only seems appropriate that the education sector is extremely valuable. The pandemic has opened up the digital platform tenfold,
especially with the education sector. Yet, it was Byju’s that first brought studying and education to the digital world. Byju’s created a disruption in an ever-growing market. Byju’s was launched by Bjyu Raveendran in 2011. Today, they provide courses for competitive exams like CAT and GRE, as well as courses for the CBSE board, State boards, etc., as well as classes for grades 4-12. Byju’s had its edge over the traditional market due to lower costs and rates, lack of geographical constraints and access to professors from anywhere.
Byju’s has acquired over $244 million in funding, including that from Mark Zuckerberg. Byju’s is India’s first educational unicorn start-up, implying that it has a billion-dollar valuation.
Image Source: https://entrackr.com/2018/07/byjus-acquire-math-adventures/
BIKANERVALA
India celebrates, and is celebrated for, its food. The industry contributes to 14% of the manufacturing GDP, as well as 13% to India’s total exports.
Bikanervala is a brand trading in traditional snacks and sweets all across the country. Its humble beginning can be traced back to 1905, to Rajasthan. Christened “Bikaner Namkeen Bhandar”, today, they serve millions of customers daily from over 100 outlets in 6 countries. Bikanerwala employs well above 8,500 individuals, a team whose efforts have resulted in turnovers of USD 400 million.
KHETLAAPA TEA STALL
Ever seen a tea stall and wondered how much the owner earns? Well, here’s a hint – with the right entrepreneurial skills, you can earn upwards of one crore rupees. Chai in Gujarat is a big deal, considering the Prime Minister’s past. Meet Saamat bhai, Viram and Narendra Gandhi – three young men who epitomize the spirit of Gujarati entrepreneurship. Khetlaapa is a tea stall chain that started from just one small corner stall. They serve thousands of people on a daily basis. It is a familiar name for people from every corner of the state.
The ubiquitous tea vendor, boiling tonnes of milk in lakhs of roadside stalls to prepare the sweetened and syrupy cuppa from early dawn to well past midnight, has his dreams renewed after hearing about such wild success. The tea or “chai” is in the heart of every indian, the normal tea stall owner may earn some pennies but the big players like Khetlaapa make a million dollars in a year. This is because of its rapid expansion policy, for all of Gujarat and other states. This is a classy example of how any industry or sector can be the next multi-million dollar banger!
ZERODHA
The Indian stock market is one of the biggest stock exchanges in the world - a place where everyone is investing their money into listed companies. The common man, or woman, buying a stock has to pay quite a large sum to the broker, on top of which there is the lengthy procedure with the Demat account and other affairs. A prominent reason that more individuals don’t invest is because of these reasons. In such a climate, it was Zerodha, an online brokerage firm, the first of its kind, that started to solve such problems.
Nithin Kamath established Zerodha around the same time when both the NSE and BSE started going online with the help of the depositories – NSDL and CDSL. He understood the shortcomings of the market, especially the exploitation by brokers. Zerodha Broking Ltd., founded in 2010, is an Indian financial services company, that offers retail and institutional broking, currencies and commodities trading, mutual funds, and bonds service through an online platform. Kite Zerodha is one of the most trusted sites for trading. Its easy-to-use interface gives its clients a seamless experience. Today, Zerodha is valued at more than a billion dollars. Zerodha not only commenced, but also revolutionized the online trading sector.
Written By - Advait Kabra
Edited By - Dhruvi Gathani
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