5 Side Hustles with Less Than ₹5,000 Startup Cost (India Friendly Guide)
💼 Want to earn extra income without quitting your job or breaking your bank?
Good news: You don’t need lakhs of rupees or fancy degrees to start earning.
Here are 5 powerful side hustles you can start with just ₹5,000 or less — all practical, low-risk, and beginner-friendly.
💡 1. Freelance Content Writing
📚 If you love writing and have a good command of English or Hindi, this is for you.
What You’ll Do:
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Write blog posts, website content, product descriptions
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Get paid per word or per article
Investment:
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₹0 (Just internet + laptop/mobile)
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Optional: Grammarly Premium (₹300–₹400/month)
Where to Start:
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Internshala, Fiverr, Freelancer, Upwork
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Direct pitching to blogs, startups, local brands
Earning Potential:
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₹150 to ₹500 per article in the beginning
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₹20,000–₹50,000/month with consistent work
✅ Perfect for students, homemakers & part-timers
👕 2. Print-on-Demand T-shirt Store
👕 Launch your own T-shirt brand — without holding stock or handling delivery.
What You’ll Do:
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Create trendy designs (Canva)
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Upload to platforms like TeeSpring, Redbubble, or connect Printful with Shopify
Investment:
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₹0 for TeeSpring/Redbubble
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₹3000–₹5000 if you want your own Shopify store
Tools Needed:
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Canva (Free)
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Basic Instagram marketing
Earning Potential:
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₹100–₹300 profit per sale
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₹10,000–₹50,000/month if promoted well
✅ Best for creative minds or meme lovers
📚 3. Online Tutoring
🎓 If you’re good at any subject, you can earn by teaching it online.
Subjects in Demand:
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Maths, English, Science, Coding, Spoken English
Investment:
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₹0 (use Zoom/Google Meet)
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Optional: Whiteboard app or graphics tablet (~₹1500–₹3000)
Platforms to Join:
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UrbanPro, SuperProf, Vedantu
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Or teach independently via Instagram/WhatsApp
Earning Potential:
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₹200–₹800 per class
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₹15,000–₹50,000/month easily
✅ Zero marketing cost if you use word of mouth
📲 4. Instagram Niche Page + Affiliate Marketing
📸 Create a niche meme/facts/motivation page and monetize it with affiliate links.
What You’ll Do:
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Post reels, carousels, quotes
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Use Amazon or digital product affiliate links in bio/stories
Investment:
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₹0–₹500 for page branding/logo
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₹1000–₹2000 for basic shoutouts/collabs
Monetization:
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Affiliate sales
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Sponsored posts
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Selling your own products later
Earning Potential:
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₹5,000–₹50,000/month with 10K+ followers
✅ Scalable side hustle with passive income potential
📦 5. Resell Digital Products (No Inventory Needed)
📁 Sell ebooks, templates, notion planners, resume kits, or AI tools — all 100% digital.
Where to Find Products:
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Buy PLR (Private Label Rights) products
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Create your own using Canva/Notion
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Use ChatGPT to write ebooks/templates
Investment:
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₹0–₹2000 for PLR packs
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₹1000 for domain + hosting (optional)
Sell On:
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Gumroad
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Your own site (WordPress/Shopify)
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WhatsApp/Instagram
Earning Potential:
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₹100–₹1000 per product
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₹10,000–₹1 lakh/month if scaled well
✅ No delivery, no packing, no inventory hassles
🏁 Final Thoughts
You don’t need a huge budget to start earning online.
✅ Start small
✅ Be consistent
✅ Reinvent as you grow
👉 Even with ₹0–₹5,000 investment, these side hustles can turn into full-time income streams.
🔥 Bonus: Want a PDF Guide with Tools & Sites?
Comment “SIDE HUSTLE PDF” or DM us @Affifuse and we’ll send you a FREE toolkit to kickstart your side hustle journey!