Acche din will come when you stop depending on the Government of India for jobs and freebies. Become an entrepreneur with the help of these unique startup ideas.
In May 2026, while addressing a BJP rally in Hyderabad, the Honourable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Damodardas Modi, dropped several pearls of wisdom regarding how Indians should navigate the economic uncertainty triggered by the US-Israel war on Iran. He invoked the Coronavirus pandemic and
Millions of oil lamps were lit to mark the birthday of non-biological Modiji
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I ask you, so what, if on the very next day, the very honorable Modiji attended a spectacular airshow by the Indian Air Force above the Somnath Temple in Gujarat? And what’s it to you if our well-meaning, uncle-like prime minister embarked on a five-nation tour promptly afterwards? And how dare you ask questions about Modiji’s recent 76th birthday celebrations that saw his party organise motorcycle yatras, and a massive oil-guzzling deepotsav (festival of lamps) in Madhya Pradesh using millions of diyas or earthen lamps?
Please understand that it all made eminently good sense. Besides, Modiji is special and was trying to be nice. Save the environment, stop splurging on gallivanting overseas, cut back on the deep fried stuff (and lose some weight), and save money to (perhaps) buy gold later. What made it even better is that it was all packaged in the name of Atmanirbharta, or self-reliance. And what made it shine even brighter was that Atmanirbharta has been one of Modiji’s pet themes. He first mentioned the concept in 2014 and went on to enunciate the hallowed words ‘Atmanirbhar‘ (self-reliant) and ‘Atmanirbharta‘ multiple times in a television address while announcing the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan in May 2020. Six years later, he brought it up prominently in this year’s speech; not to mention, the several times he broached the subject in between.
Let’s Talk Business & Atmanirbharta
Well, I for one think Atmanirbharta is extremely crucial; one must stand on one’s own feet in Modiji’s Bharat. God helps those who help themselves and our God-like government does the same. (STOP questioning our government! You don’t question God even though He too keeps mum when asked critical questions, acts in inexplicable ways, and is not accountable to us.)
But with unemployment figures going through the roof — the unemployment rate among people aged 15-29 reached 16.2 per cent in June 2026, the highest in the past 15 months – according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), changing one’s lifestyle habits may no longer be enough. Modiji has often spoken of becoming a job creator, instead of a job seeker. So, why not adopt the same approach to manage the ever-soaring cost of living?
Here are five startup business ideas that Nirbhar (dependent) youth could use to become Atmanirbhar. Along with ideas, I am also dispensing useful tips regarding how you should run your business.
Rashtriya (national) Restaurant
Start an exclusive restaurant that would make Modiji lavish praise on you in Mann ki Baat. Don’t be like others and begin serving the usual fare.
Biryani is the food of anti-nationals who participate in protests; don’t even think of serving it. Momos have possible Nepalese origins and may be banned anytime; in fact a lawmaker of the ruling party had called for its ban as many as nine years ago. So don’t go there either. Pizza is an Italian dish, and our government (ahem! or shall we say our blushing prime minister?) has arguably mixed feelings towards it. Georgia or Sonia, Italian women can be lethal! Thus, it’s better to avoid that altogether. Offering Chinese food also isn’t something true patriots will ever consider.
Modiji, in his peerless wisdom, had once spoken of pakora-making and selling as a form of employment. But pakoras consume too much oil, so that’s out of bounds as well. But yes, you may serve chai and toffees, especially Melody. Also serve India’s national dish khichdi at lunch hours.
Starting a tea restaurant is an excellent idea and gives you a path to follow in Modiji’s footsteps
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USP of restaurant: Be different like Maggi tomato ketchup! Serve the rich regional fare of different states at different times. Dhokla-Khaman before Gujarat elections, Makki roti-sarson saag before Punjab elections, halwa-puri before Uttar Pradesh election, and so on.
Mandir Ghar Wahi Banayenge (we’ll build a home right there) Construction Company
Nowadays, a lot of homes are getting bulldozed. And if you have been an anti-CAA protestor in the past, are Muslim, suspected Bangladeshi, have a family member who is a terror suspect, or are simply an impoverished squatter with nowhere to go, we sure will look the other way while you tearfully watch your property being seized and razed!
Entrepreneurs offering home-building services must remember to keep the architecture of their clients’ homes intrinsically Indian. Provide temple-like spiral roofs (strictly NO spherical domes and NO minarets), mandaps (pillared halls), and a large aangan (courtyard) with free Tulsi saplings; advertise them as unique features provided by your company. Paint homes in varying shades of saffron. For instance, you may offer dark saffron in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and (now) West Bengal; medium saffron in Karnataka and Punjab; and light saffron in Goa, Mizoram, Manipur, and Sikkim. Build a small lotus pond for your slightly wealthier clients for an artsy touch.
Houses you build should look quintessentially Indian.
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USP of Construction Company: For true desh-bhakts who are poor and cannot afford brand-new houses, any properties seized from desh-drohis can be provided at subsidized rates. Renovation will be done to make them look like homes of patriots.
ADIDAS (All Day I Dream About Swadeshi) Clothing Boutique
Modiji has admirably illustrated the importance of being well-dressed, and of course, dressing so incredibly well, people could easily identify you by your clothes. Who, after all, can forget that fancy bandhgala suit worn during US President Obama’s visit in 2015?
You can set up a clothing boutique with all kinds of Swadeshi clothing – sarees, lehenga cholis, dhotis, etc. Salwar kameez and kurta churidars may be sold on customer request; these are not purely Indian attire. But since Modiji and Amit Shahji themselves have adopted these outfits, we can’t chuck them out altogether. Every clothing line should have an interesting name and design theme. For example, “Wow! Cow” block-print sarees, “Trishul ki Taaqat” embroidered kurtas, and “Kamal ka Kamaal” border motif lehengas.
USP of clothing boutique: Promote monochromatic clothing as an exclusive, high-end product. In fact, charge your customers a little more for these. Explain to them the elegance of singular colours and patterns. Elucidate how it has been inspired by the government’s idea of India — one language, one religion, one political party, one Uniform Civil Code. Convert the idea into a garment and voilà, your client’s dream garment it is.
Tell your clients, polychromatic outfits are as ugly as multiculturalism. Convince them of the beauty of UCC (Uniform Civil Colour Code)
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Sacchhi Shiksha ki Diksha (initiation into true education) Coaching Centre
I am not talking about becoming a YouTube educator/coach of the kind the very respectable Anjana Om Kashyap might dismiss as ‘do kaudi ke’ (two-bit persons). And I am also not talking about affordable coaching services being provided by the likes of Khan sir (how dare he?!)
I am talking about an old fashioned coaching business in which you teach children and earn punya (divine merit). If you teach them what the government wants you to teach them, you will earn punya plus a long life without having to consume any Patanjali product. In fact, your task has already become lighter as NCERT textbook chapters on federalism and citizenship in Political Science, and caste conflict and ideas of womanhood in History were axed as part of ‘rationalisation’ exercises beginning in 2019, and remain mostly absent from current versions.
Do NOT forget to extol the ruling party. By the way, the CBSE class 12 Political Science book has been crediting Modiji’s government for leading a shift from ‘caste and religion-based politics to development and governance oriented politics’ since 2020! So why wait? Whip out the saffron chalk now!
Instead of reading books to learn and teach, simply collect gyan (wisdom) from Modiji’s ministers.
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USP of coaching centre: Explain facts and definitions as our great ministers understand them. Teaching social demography? Don’t forget former Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb’s opinion that Punjabis and Jats have more brawn than brain. Explaining history? Borrow straight from Modiji who said that Saint Kabir, Baba Guru Nanak, and Baba Gorakhnath once sat together and discussed spirituality. Taking up physics? Parrot Union Minister Piyush Goyal who said that Albert Einstein discovered gravity. Grappling with environmental science? Learn something from Delhi CM Rekha Gupta, who said Air Quality Index (AQI) is a temperature that can be measured and trees like Babool and Keekar do not emit oxygen. Teaching economics? Explain the plummeting rupee as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman does: the rupee is not falling, the dollar is strengthening.
Ati Sukhat Yatra (very blissful journey) Travel & Transport Company
Well, crude oil prices have risen and may continue to rise, what with Modiji’s toddler ‘fraaaand’ ‘Dolaaand Trump’ and his daddy Netanyahu in no mood to throw up their stubby hands despite being sent scurrying by Iran. Needless to say, the spiralling costs of petrol and diesel are having a ripple effect, touching all spheres of daily life. The cost of public transport will eventually go up because of exorbitant petrol prices. What to do, what to do? Remember how Modiji once spoke of converting adversity into opportunity?
Forget petrol shetrol. Set up a travel and transport company that stands apart from the Olas, Ubers, Jugnoos, and what have you. Earn name, fame, money, and respect by renting out as-unique-as-it-gets modes of transport – bicycles, boats, and bullock carts. Bullock carts for city roads, boats when they get flooded, and bicycles for highways. Also rent out khacchars (mules) and gadhas (donkeys) for single passengers. Note that this transport business will enable you to render multiple patriotic services: protect the environment, reduce road accidents, employ the male family members of mother cows, and slow down the fast pace of modern living.
Pioneer the return to traditional modes of transport for the betterment of the economy, environment and life, in general.
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USP of Travel Company: Do more than just get nostalgic about the ancient age. Rent out royal raths (chariots) – horse-driven, air-conditioned, luxury chariots straight out of the Mahabharata! Offer a 25 percent discount to those visiting temples; a 50 percent discount to those taking the rath yatra to Ayodhya, Mathura, or Kashi, and a 70 percent discount to those headed to all three — Ayodhya, Mathura, and Kashi. Forget ran-neeti (war strategy), adopt rath-neeti (chariot strategy)!
Dhan Ki Baat (let’s talk about money)
So, mitron, my dear fraaands, stop being nirbhar (especially on the government). Take your pick from these business ideas, and be a Mukesh Ambani-style Atmanirbhar deshbhakt today!