How to Start Business With Rs 10 Lakh? Zerodha Co-Founder Nikhil Kamath Shares Ideas for Building From Scratch

Starting a business with Rs 10 lakh and no established professional network may seem difficult, but Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath believes that access to customers and the ability to differentiate a business could matter more than a large initial investment. For someone rebuilding their finances from scratch, his approach points towards two potential opportunities.

Have Rs 10 Lakh and No Business Contacts? Nikhil Kamath Would Consider These Business Ideas to Start From Scratch

Speaking at the NDTV World Summit 2026, Kamath considered a hypothetical situation in which Zerodha disappeared and he had to start over with Rs 10 lakh, his existing knowledge and no professional contacts. Rather than suggesting a capital-intensive venture, he identified content creation as one way to begin with limited resources and potentially build a business around the audience it attracts.

Rs 10 Lakh Business Idea: Build an Audience Before Launching a Business

For someone with limited capital, content creation could provide a way to test a business idea before spending a substantial amount on inventory, office space or infrastructure. A person could begin by creating useful videos, articles or social media posts around a subject they understand, such as personal finance, technology, education, food or a specialised professional skill.

"Making content is one of the few things where anybody can do it. There is no cost attached to doing it in the beginning, and if you get any kind of distribution, you can slap a business on top," Kamath said.

Kamath believes that distribution, the ability to reach potential customers is becoming an important source of competitive advantage. He pointed to newer consumer brands that have used content and audience-building to establish themselves in markets traditionally dominated by large companies.

As manufacturing and technology become more accessible, he argued, factors such as taste, nuance and distribution can help businesses distinguish themselves from competitors.

However, content creation is not a guaranteed source of income. Building an audience can take time, and creators may struggle to generate consistent revenue. Anyone relying on savings to cover living expenses should account for this uncertainty before treating content as a full-time business.

Business With Rs 10 Lakh: Combine Indian Talent With AI to Serve Overseas Clients

Kamath also highlighted another possible business model: pairing India's skilled workforce with AI tools to provide services to international customers. "In India, you can employ an engineer at maybe $500 a month to $1,000 a month," he said, describing an approach in which people and technology work together. He referred to it as "half human and half tech coming together".

The idea is to use AI to improve the productivity of a small team while retaining human expertise for tasks that require judgement, supervision or specialised knowledge. Depending on the founders' skills and customer demand, this could involve software development, business process support, research, digital marketing or other professional services.

A person starting with Rs 10 lakh could first identify a specific problem faced by overseas businesses and test whether clients would pay for a solution. Instead of hiring a large team immediately, the business could begin with the founder and a small number of specialists, using AI tools where they improve efficiency.

Before investing, it is important to calculate essential monthly expenses, existing loan repayments and other financial obligations. Money required for near-term living costs should not be committed to a business that may take months to generate revenue.

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