From Idea to Launch: A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Start a Startup in India

Are you wondering how to start a startup in India? With the growing technology and digital revolution, many start-ups are being formed. India is a growing economy, and as the economy grows, purchasing power and income increase. This encouraged the development of new businesses in the market. As of 2018, start-ups have created about 2.64% of the jobs in the market. With the ‘Digital Saksharta Abhiyan’, a government of India initiative, we saw a new rise in the start-up business in India.

To start a startup business, all you have to do is invest in your idea. However, it should be strategic and have long-term goals to make it successful.

Here are some important steps on how to start a startup in India.

How to Start a Startup Company in India

If you are wondering how to start a business in India. Here are the major steps you need to take to become a start-up owner: 

1. Idea Generation

If you want to learn how to start a startup in India, idea generation is the first and foremost step. So, what exactly are start-up ideas in India? Whatever problem exists has some solution, and your idea will determine that solution.

For example, the Co-Founder of Rebus (a Bangalore-based Startup) could not find a bus to go home at the festival. The operator’s unmanaged bus service caused this. The idea of Rebus came after this incident. Rebus acts as a solution for finding easy bus service.

Now you must be clear with the concept of problems and solutions, which is very important to know how to start a startup in India. There are other ways to generate ideas to identify problems, which are as follows.

• Market research is one of the best methods for idea generation. It can help you determine what products or services are currently in the market and identify consumers’ needs.
• An innovative idea is the best choice. However, it would also be helpful if you had something that would help modify any existing idea.
• Idea generation should focus on consumer studies. You should develop the product required according to the customer’s taste. Furthermore, consumer-centric products and services have great potential for success.

Recommended Read: 50+ Incredible Small Business Ideas For 2024 And Beyond

2. Prototype Development

After you develop a good product idea, the next step is prototype development. In this stage, you will develop the base model of the product. It is not your final product, but it is just a replica of the actual product and will resemble its features and quality. The main reasons for prototype development are as follows.

• It will help you understand the product’s functionality and how it will work in the market.
• Any product prototype is shown to experts, and business consultants to take their expertise. Hence, it can be helpful for early testing in the current market scenario.
• The prototype is sometimes used in the company’s early fundraising, too. Moreover, most banks and other debtors lend loans based on the prototype.
• Developing a new commercial product will involve many bugs and uncertainties, and it will help to identify those problems.

These are the important aspects of prototyping in any business. Also, the prototype will be different for different businesses. If you are involved in a product-based business, you must R&D the product. It will also include various tests. However, you’ll need to work on a basic network or your medium of service model for a service-based business.

3. Business Planning

After you have a prototype of the product, now you have to plan your business. It is a considerable step, and you must know how to start a startup in India. Any similar product can have many operating companies or start-ups, but every company’s business model will differ. You must first decide about your service and product and whether you will sell the product online or offline. So, it is the most crucial factor to start a business where the competition is great.

4. Finalise Revenue Model

If you have a startup idea, it must have a revenue model through which it can generate revenue. The revenue model is simple for product-based businesses like Boohoo (a Clothing-Based Startup): you have to sell products. The more products you sell, the more revenue you will get. However, a service-based business revenue model is a bit difficult.

For example, Tomato (an Online Food Delivery App) has a complex revenue model. This is because there is no direct business from customers and no fixed revenue. So, you have to come up with a good revenue model that is most suitable to grow your business.

5. Streamline Operations

You have to develop your operations management before starting a startup in India. Operation management involves how you will conduct your day-to-day activities. Moreover, it will also include the various levels of operations you are going through. Under the operations, all other aspects of a startup will be also included.

6. Fund Raising

If you have an idea, you have also made a prototype and a business model. Then it will be the right time to start raising funds for your company. However, it won’t be easy to get a satisfactory fund without entering the market.

If you are wondering how to start a startup in India with no money, you will have to rely on your capital, family, friends, bank loans, and moneylenders for the initial funding stage because securing funds is necessary. After you successfully raise funds, you can start your startup.

Initially, you should invest the capital wisely. You can then do more funding rounds again and even approach angel investors, VCs, and banks.

7. Build a Team

You cannot run a business alone, and if the business is on a large scale, it will be impossible to run it alone. That is why an initiative startup team is necessary. After all, entrepreneurship requires good team and management skills.

So, even though you are in the initial stage of starting a startup in India, you will need a team. While building a team, you have to consider the following aspects.

• Decide on the size and operation level of your business. If it has a chain of operations, you will need a huge team.
• Is your startup product-based or service-based? Service-based businesses may have different requirements, whereas product-based businesses require different skilled teams.
• The team should also consist of a lawyer for legal matters, a CA or accountant for finance, and a good consultant.
• The positions of CEO, CFO, CTO, and CMO must be clarified. To ensure the proper division of work, you must choose co-founders in the company.

When learning how to start a startup in India, you must remember all these aspects. Most importantly, you should make an energetic and passionate team and allow youth and freshers to join..

Things to Consider Before You Start-Up

The uniqueness of your Business

Before launching your start-up, ensure your idea stands out. Your business’s uniqueness will attract customers and differentiate you from competitors. It could be an entirely new concept, a unique feature, or a different approach to an existing product or service. A clear, unique selling proposition (USP) will help you gain a competitive edge in the market.

Demand for your Product/Service

Demand for your product or service is crucial. Conduct thorough market research to understand if there’s a real need for what you’re offering. If people aren’t willing to pay for your product, your business will likely fail. Identifying a target audience and ensuring their demand matches your solution is a key step in validating your business idea.

Scalability of your Business

Think long-term and ask yourself if your business idea has the potential to grow. Scalability means your business can expand its operations and revenue without a proportional cost increase. This could be through technology, automation, or new market opportunities. A scalable business can handle increased workload and demand without affecting efficiency.

Essential Legal Aspects to Start a Startup

For starting a startup in India and making it a private limited company, you have to consider many legal terms and conditions. Some legal aspects are as follows.

1. Choose Your Business Entity

Choosing the right legal structure for your business is vital for its long-term success. You can register your start-up as a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability partnership (LLP), or private limited company. Each entity type comes with different tax obligations, liability protections, and ownership structures, so it’s important to select the one that fits your business goals. Consulting a legal advisor can help you make the right decision.

2. Licensing

Many startups require different licenses that you need to obtain. For example, any food business would require an FSSAI license. You cannot start your own company unless you have a license. Likewise, other businesses will require a license that you must obtain.

3. Business Registration

To start a business in India, you must register your startup and get a GST registration. However, you will need an import and export license for international business.

4. Patent and Trademark

If you have a new and innovative business or idea, you should get a trademark and patent. It is not compulsory, but it will protect your intellectual property and secure your business in the long run.

5. Establishing the Market

This is the most important step to help you launch and sustain a startup in the market. You have to spend a huge amount studying the market and creating a good marketing plan. Here are the steps you can use in marketing.

Target Audience	You have to identify your target audience according to your product and service. The target audience should be pre-determined before product development.
Market Segmentation	You will need to segregate the market according to your target audience. Your priority will be whatever market has the best response.
Consumer Satisfaction	The product must have the ability to satisfy consumer needs. You must use a mixed product, place, and price to satisfy your target audience.
Advertisement and Promotion	A fair amount of investment must be in advertising and promotion. You can advertise your product from an advertising firm or use other methods like social media advertising.
Market Analysis	Always check your product performance in the market. If the analysis is positive, follow up the method. And if it is negative, change your strategies.

To start a startup company in India, you must follow all these aspects. These aspects must also be flexible, which means you can change them at any moment according to business requirements.

How to do Startup in India – Key Takeaways

By now, you must have learned how to start a successful startup in India.

Before starting your business, consider how your product or service solves an existing problem.

The Indian market is very diverse, and consumers change their preferences very easily, so you must create and maintain a monopoly. You must also have backup and alternative plans and strategies to stay afloat in the market.

No startup achieves success easily. Only hard work, dedication, and self-discipline will make your startup successful in the long run.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Here are some useful resources:

• Angel Investors: What Is Angel Investing & How Does It Work?
• What is Venture Capitalist (VC) and How Venture Capital Work?
• Entrepreneurship in India–Complete History, Evolution and Transformation
• How To Start Drop-shipping In India- A Comprehensive Guide (2024)
• Start a business and protect the environment: Here are some Green Business Ideas