r/sidehustleIndia

Few months back, I visited a small gaming cafe near a school in my city. The owner has been running it for 10 years now.

He started from Retro → PS2 → PS3 → PS4

But he stopped at PS4.

When I spoke to him, he said:

People still come, but a lot of them now specifically ask for PS5 games. He did not want to invest ₹50K+ without knowing if demand will actually convert and plus he had some financial constraints too.

Then I remembered I had 2 PS5s lying unused. One in my homestay, one personal. I did not feel like selling them, so thought I’ll try something different.

So I pitched him to try for a month. No fixed cost. You pay me only if people actually play :)

What we did:

- Installed both PS5s

- Kept pricing lower initially (₹30-40/hour/player)

- Later moved to ₹50/hour/player

- My cut: ₹10/hour

I did not charge anything in Jan. Just wanted to test.

Footfall (as per him):

Before:

- 10-15 weekday

- 20-25 weekend

After adding PS5:

- Weekends 35-50

- Weekdays slightly improved

Nothing crazy, but something noticeable

I used PS app activity and his weekly logs

(Tracking player-hours, not just console uptime)

My payout (₹10/hour share):

Feb: ₹10K

March: ₹12.2K

April (till now): ₹7.5K

Total so far: ₹30,020

(Attached sheet for reference)

Why this worked:

Demand was already there, he just did not want to take the risk and I had idle assets. Simple :)

What I learnt:

You don’t always need a new idea.

Sometimes you just need an asset and someone who already has demand!

If someone wants to try something similar:

Look for:

- Shops getting customers but missing 1 key thing

- Your unused assets (electronics, space, vehicles, anything)

- Partnerships instead of investments

You don’t need to build from scratch. Sometimes you just plug into an existing system and take a small cut.

Hoping for a jump now since summer holidays are coming soon. That’s when this should ideally peak.

Someone might say what if he ends up buying his own PS5 after seeing demand… Lelo yaar 😄

I did not invest anything, still made a decent amount.

Even if it works short-term, I’m happy.

Thanks for reading :)

I had a ₹25,000 loan because of a medical emergency related to my mother. I couldn’t tell my close ones or even my friends about it. My credit card payment was due, and everything was just building up inside me.

Out of desperation, I posted on subreddits like r/sidehustlepaglu, r/indiansidehustle, and r/sidehustleindia asking if anyone could help me find some side gigs. I wasn’t looking for charity, just some way to earn.

Within minutes, I got a DM from u/DebtBeneficial9444.

He told me about a crypto “rugpull method” where I could earn ₹1000 every 2 hours by investing ₹2–3k. I didn’t have money. The only thing I had was a crypto portfolio that was once ₹40,000 but had already dropped to around ₹12,000 (75% loss). I still withdrew it, even though somewhere inside I knew it might recover if I waited.

Out of that ₹12,000, I paid ₹6,000 towards my credit card, and used the remaining ₹6,000 for this.

He told me to invest ₹6,000 so I could earn ₹1000 every 2 hours. I even told him clearly that this could be a scam. I said I was choosing to trust him anyway. He replied, “Bharosa badi cheez hai.”

I don’t know why, but that line got to me.

Maybe because I’ve never scammed anyone in my life. I thought maybe not everyone is like that.

Before sending the money, I even told him everything — that I’m on anxiety medication, that I’m not mentally okay, that if something goes wrong I honestly don’t know how I’ll handle it. I literally told him I might not be able to take it if anything more happens to me.

He still went ahead and did this.

That’s what hurts the most. Not just the money — but how easily someone can hear all that and still choose to take advantage of you.

The truth is, I haven’t been okay for a while.

I’m on anxiety medication and melatonin. I recently went to a doctor who told me to just rest and stop overthinking. My tests showed I’m lacking some essential vitamins and minerals too. I haven’t been able to share any of this with anyone I know.

He asked me to download Binance and Trust Wallet. I followed everything he said.

I bought around $58 (≈₹6,000) on Binance and transferred it to Trust Wallet. I even shared my wallet ID with him.

After some time, I got a notification — $58 sent.

That moment… my heart just dropped. I already knew.

I went back to Telegram, and he had blocked me. Chat gone. Account gone. Just like that.

This isn’t even the first time. Over the years, I’ve lost more than ₹30,000 in scams. I’m just 18.

And the worst part? All my life, I’ve only tried to do good.

I run a very small NGO. We feed stray dogs, help senior citizens with food, and try to support students who can’t afford books. It’s not big, but it’s something I’ve always been proud of.

I’ve always been a giver. Always.

And somehow, I keep ending up like this.

About 5 years ago, something happened in my life that pushed me really close to ending everything. I somehow didn’t, only because of my mother and sister.

And now… I don’t feel scared, I don’t feel panic. I don’t even feel that bad about the money anymore.

It’s just this weird numbness. Like nothing matters. Like everything is just… blank.

I’ve always tried to keep my family happy. No matter what it cost me. I never let anyone see that I come from a poor background or that I struggle to afford basic things.

A friend once told me, “Good karma comes back.”

I’ve been holding onto that for years. But honestly, it just doesn’t feel true anymore.

Right now, I’m sitting at around ₹31,000 in total loan. My exams are in a few days, and my mind is completely blank.

I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do anymore.

Hello everyone,

As the title says, I have to make 13000rs by the end of this month.

Usually I do not spend that much money in a month, but this time due to some medical emergencies (mother got admitted due to a chronic disorder), I had to use my credit card at the hospital.

Even before I could make an estimate of how much I have spent, the credit card report gave a number to the north of 10000rs.

I being a student neither can afford to take high interest loans nor can ask any of my friends for the help (as they are students too).

If there is any way I could make this amount in the remaining 10-11 days of this month then please help me in getting out of this debt trap.

My experties:-

1. I am the co-founder and Chief operating Officer of a snack food brand (germination stage, I do not withdraw any salary)

2. Design basic stuff on Canva.

3. Do brand research.

4. Can join your company as a remote full time partner.

5. Personal assistant - Time is more important than money. I can manage the cluttered extras in your work life.

Note:- Please do not promote survey apps neither in the comments nor in my DMs. Surveys take time and patience, and the amount they compensate for your time is often nuts. So I do not want to waste my time on that.

.....

So I have esim app that was really headache to take it this place. Development was the easiest part, business communications, unlimited mails, collaborations are really making upset since I am both working full time job, studying Master degree and also distributing 2 apps to my app store.

App link : https://apps.apple.com/us/app/voyasim-esim-data-internet/id6752798400

Website : voyasim.io

The 6 month Growth is like that:

October (0$) : Released first version, ı dont know anything about app store optimization, screenshots or metrics that are shown to me dashboard. apps ui was trash just the system was working perfectly, you download app signup, press one button buy esim and activate esim with one button or qr reading.

November(5$) : Learned what is aso , priority of app screenshots, what are keywords, how to target customers. Just learned :D İt is not same thing in practice. Marketplace is really really competitive there are tons of trustworthy brandings that even my app is not visible in a lot of perfect keys at even 5th pages. Got my first customer who bought esim 4 times. It was the best feeling ı got that seeing ı really provided internet one traveller and ı really exist.

December(3$): Burnout period, doing things but not gaining even 3 downloads a day. End of the year gave me different problems in work and study sessions, I never thought to leave , because ı had really very high efforts , so with just motivation of 1 users 3 dollar buy, I said myself that I have to really go into it , change all keywords to holiday christmas theme , change screenshots to Christmas themed screenshots and go on! Result: Screenshots worked but keywords like holiday esim showed me my position wasnt the worst , ı ve gone deep bottom points in searchs.

January(85$): Started from zero point, developed website, bought some aso tools (dont ask me because ı think ı am still not good aso researcher) , and what ı was waiting on december , happened january. I got up and saw really good orders like 10$ 15$ and this really felt like wow ı am doing something. I started to push through new tests new researches and this was the perfect result ı ve gotten.

February(53$) - New year era finished, ı think in this period people dont prefer to travel too much, plus this war themes that made visitors to travel less, but still project was making money so ı tried different advertisements on social media to gain audience.

March (201$) - Boom, weather conditions became good to travel, some trusts gained (still in weak points , need to compete with big whales), and this was the month that is valuable than other 5 month, I didnt still make profit since ı made advertisements and other service payments. But from today, I believe that ı will start to make small moneys. Still looking through to see if march is chance or there is some correlation between this high demand and march.

April (100$) till now - still waiting to see finish update.

The lesson ı learned is this: Do not lie to your customers, dont make them overpay, and make your service work like clock accuracy, then user will find you.

I run an Instagram page (bharat.archives) with 200K followers and \~19M views in the last 30 days, focused on Indian history and storytelling.

But I’m not earning anything from it yet.

What are the best real ways to monetize a page like this in 2026? Brand deals, YouTube, digital products, something else?

Would appreciate practical advice from people who’ve actually done it.

Hi I'm looking for task/project based jobs

I (16f) can do minor data entry jobs, good at using Google Sheets, and using AI tools.

I can help you format your data and make it visually appealing and organized, per your wishes.

I also have coding foundations primarily in python, but i can work with html and css and little bit of SQL.

The python libraries I have worked with thus far are streamlit, pandas, tkinter, and others.

here is an example of what I can do. It's one of the projects I have done for personal use but evolved differently.

I have been a solo developer this whole time. I have not built a project while coordinating with a different person/team and sharing their visions and ideas. But I am willing to learn and adapt.

Looking for exclusively remote jobs, I have access to wifi and a laptop.

Payment method is UPI only.

This is one of the once-popular traditional art forms that declined after colonization.

My aim is to preserve and reintroduce this heritage through contemporary themes while staying rooted in the traditional techniques of Pahari miniature painting.

Through my work, I explore subjects that reflect the rich and diverse culture of the Himalayas, its people, traditions, ornaments, rituals, folklore, and landscapes. One of my major ongoing projects is the Ashtanayika series, inspired by the eight classical forms and emotional states of the Nayika described in Indian aesthetics and poetry. Through this series, I reinterpret these timeless emotions in the Pahari miniature style, blending them with Himalayan settings and cultural symbolism.

So far, I have completed five paintings from this series, each representing a different mood and narrative of the Nayika.

1. Khandita Nayika

Khandita Nayika is the offended and hurt heroine. She feels anger and sadness because of her lover’s neglect, betrayal, or late arrival. In my interpretation, I placed her in the setting of the forgotten Dogri ritual Moula-Ror, once practiced in Jammu. While she turns away in pain and displeasure, her lover tries to speak to her and win back her affection. This work connects classical emotion with regional heritage.

2. Abhisarika Nayika

Abhisarika Nayika is the brave and determined heroine who goes out fearlessly to meet her lover, often at night or through forests and storms. In my painting, she walks through a dark forest while confronting danger and uncertainty. A ghostly white figure appears nearby, symbolising fear, threat, or the unknown, yet she continues forward with courage. She represents passion stronger than fear.

3. Vipralabdha Nayika

Vipralabdha Nayika is the deceived heroine. She waits with hope and longing for her beloved, expecting his arrival, but he never comes. Her anticipation slowly turns into sorrow, heartbreak, and disappointment. In my interpretation, I portrayed her adorned in traditional Kinnauri dress and ornaments, reflecting the elegance of Himalayan culture while expressing the pain of separation and unfulfilled love.

4. Swadhinapatika Nayika

Swadhinapatika Nayika is the heroine whose lover is completely devoted to her. He loves her deeply, obeys her wishes willingly, and happily serves her. In my painting, she sits gracefully upon a hill while her lover bows at her feet in affection and reverence. This Nayika symbolises harmony, mutual love, emotional strength, and feminine confidence.

5. Vasakasajja Nayika

Vasakasajja Nayika is the heroine who decorates herself and prepares her chamber in joyful anticipation of meeting her beloved. She adorns herself with beautiful garments, jewellery, fragrance, and elegance while waiting for the moment of union. She symbolises beauty, excitement, hope, and the sweet expectation of love.

Each painting in this series is hand-painted using the traditional miniature process, with delicate brushwork, natural colours, and intricate detailing. Through these works, I hope not only to preserve a declining art tradition but also to make it meaningful and relevant for present times.

I am available for commissions and open to creating artworks on new themes related to heritage, culture, Himalayan identity, mythology, or personal concepts. Prints of these completed Nayika paintings are also available. If anyone is interested, please DM me.