20 Side Hustles for Generating Extra Income in India (9 mins read)

Everyone wants to increase their monthly inflow of money. It can be done through working hard in your job and getting a pay raise or by having passive income ideas working for you in India or doing something along with the job to earn extra money. In the first two cases, we know what to do but when it comes to doing something along with the job to earn money we generally get confused about what to do. In order to address this issue, we bring you the 20 things you can do along with the job to earn extra income in India and act as side income sources for you.

earn extra income in India

1. Search Engine Evaluator

It is exactly what it sounds like. You will have to analyze the search results, check their relevancy, and ensure that they are accurate. It will include web search evaluation, video evaluation, and other related things.  After the analysis, you will have to provide your feedback so that improvements in the search results can be made.

earn extra income in India as a search engine evaluator

For this, you will need to pass a qualification exam. This qualification exam goes by different names like Internet Safety Evaluator Test or Personalized Internet Assessor Test or Search Engine Evaluator Test, etc. You should have in-depth familiarity with search engines, good research, and analytical skills

Lionbridge, Appen (Leapforce), etc are the companies that hire Search Engine Evaluators. You can make around INR 10k to 15k a month by giving 12-15 hrs per week.

2. Work as Translator or Language teacher

If you have mastery over a language like English (in case you teach people from other countries), Spanish, French, etc. then you can easily turn it into a source of side income for you. All you have to do is take specialized training and get certified.

You can work as a translator or you can teach the language online or in your locality. The working hours will be flexible and you can earn an extra income of around 15-20k per month in India.

For these jobs, you can look on various platforms like Flexjobs, Upwork, Monsterindia, etc.

3. Turning hobby into a source of income

earn extra income through hobby in India

It has become easy nowadays to convert your hobby into a source of income. Be it cooking, writing stories, photography, art & craft, or recycling you can find platforms to turn them into sources of income. Your hobbies can act as good side income sources for you since you are doing what you love to do which will reflect in your mental health as well.

You can sell anything on eBay. So if you know the craft to make useful products at home then just make it and put it on eBay. Depending upon the time you devote and the hobby you choose your income will vary accordingly.

4. Create a course and sell it on Udemy or SkillShare

If you have expertise in some area that you think you can teach others through videos then make a course on it. You can sell this course on Udemy, SkillShare, or other online learning platforms and earn through the fees paid by the students. It is one of those passive income ideas in India that can work wonders for you.

It can be anything like Microsoft Excel, Adobe Photoshop, STAAD, SEO, etc. Just make a good complete course and keep it updated. Then tie up with these websites and start earning.

5. Sell on an E-Commerce Platform

Earn extra income in India through E-commerce

E-commerce has already taken over the local markets. After Covid-19, the domination of e-commerce has increased multifold. As a side hustle, you can either take distributorship of any product you have knowledge about or simply become a middle man and buy from the whole seller and sell on the e-commerce platform.

You will earn a commission on every sale that happens for your product. You will only need to manage the stock. We personally know of people who have made INR 50k profit in the first 3 months as a side hustle only.

E-commerce platforms you can aim for are Amazon, Flipkart, etc.

6. Customer service rep

Solid communication skills, a good internet connection, and a landline are all that you need to land this job as a part-time option. You will need to interact with customers and provide them with valuable information about your company’s products, take orders, etc.

These are very fast-growing and you can find plenty of options. You can work on weekends or in the evenings after your office. In India, you will be able to earn an extra income of INR 15K-20k monthly.

You can find such jobs on various job searching platforms like Naukri.com, indeed.com, etc.

7. User testing 

User testing

The companies want to know how user-friendly their website or app is and that is why they are willing to pay for it. They want to know directly from the users how their site is performing, how is the design, and the ease of use. Some companies may tell you to install software to review your activity during the test.

For this, you need a good command of English speaking and writing, a good internet connection, an updated PC or laptop, and some sites may require the use of a webcam.  You can earn around INR 20k per month as a part-time user tester.

Companies that provide such opportunities: Usertesting, Analysia, Enroll, etc

8. Blogging

The popularity of blogging is increasing day by day. The reason is its low cost and easy setup. With WordPress making a blog has become a lot easier. So all you have to do is choose a topic in which you believe that you can deliver value to your audience. Then buy a domain and host server which may cost you approx INR 10k per year in total. After this, it is all about how much time you devote to your blog. It is one of the most rewarding passive income ideas in India.

The earning from a blog comes through different ways like affiliate marketing, Google AdSense, subscription fees, etc.  When it comes to earning there is no bar. You can even become a millionaire through your blog but it is a time taking process.

9. Consulting

Consulting

If you have certifications in your industry and have developed a good skill set then you can provide consultancy services to the small businesses that can’t hire big consultancy firms to grow their business. Whether you are a marketing expert or a business strategist, you will find local business owners who are willing to pay you to solve the issues in their company.

Here you can decide your fees yourself. Look at the market rate in that field or you can go for cost + profit rate. Some companies also hire on a salary basis and give INR20k-25k for a part-time consultant.

You can find such opportunities on various platforms like Upwork, Flexjobs, Naukri, etc.

10. Event or Party planner

Do you enjoy planning out activities in your home or when there is a family gathering you are the one who is in charge of all the arrangements? Then why not give a try to Event or Planning as a side gig. As an event planner, your responsibilities will include finding a suitable venue, caterer, and entertainment for all types of parties like birthday parties, official gatherings, networking events, etc. This list of second income ideas in India would be incomplete with this because of the number of events that are held in the culture-rich Indian subcontinent.

Your weekdays will be involved in making the arrangements and weekends will go into conducting the event. You can work with companies on a salary (around INR 25k/month) basis or as a freelancer and earnings will vary accordingly.

Platforms for such gigs: Guru, Flexjobs, Instagram, etc.

11. Sports refereeing

Sports referee

Were you good at any sports during your school or college days but could not make it big in them? Well, there is an opportunity to be a part of the game. There are schools, colleges, and companies that are always looking for qualified referees for their games on the weekends.

If you step into this then you will be the part of the game you loved and you will be earning also. All the sports like football, basketball, cricket, etc require referees and there are not a lot of people who are willing to do it for schools or colleges. It is amongst the most fun side income sources that you can go for.

Though it requires specific training and certification, it can be done part-time. Once you get the required certification then you can have earnings on a per match basis. The earning depends upon the level you are refereeing. It can be somewhere between INR 2k-4k per match.

To get into refereeing you need to network with the local sports authority.

12. Youtube

If you think you have a talent you can showcase to the world or you can educate your viewers about a topic or anything that you can deliver through videos then YouTube is a very common platform that can be used.

After you have gained a certain amount of viewership, YouTube gives you permission to monetize your account. You are paid for the views you get and the ads that get displayed in your videos.

13. Personal fitness trainer/yoga instructor/meditation instructor

Yoga Instructor

If you are a fitness freak, have a great business sense, and have a knack for connecting with people then this can be a cakewalk for you. It will be both physically and financially rewarding to be a personal trainer on weekends or in the evening after your office.

It can be bodyweight training, yoga, meditation, etc. It is only a matter of developing the first few clients for you. After you have done this and built a reputation for yourself by delivering results to your clients it can also become a full-time Endeavour for you. It is one of those second-income ideas in India that can be very rewarding if you strike a good deal.

As far as earnings are concerned, you have to fix your training rate as per the prevailing market rate and the fees your competitors are demanding.

14. Property manager

Do you have people in your circle that invest in real estate or rent out properties? Then you can become their property manager. Your responsibility will be to maintain the property which will include all the repairs and improvements to the property. You will also have to deal with emergencies that might be dealt with over the phone or in person.

You might not know but people who are into renting multiple properties actually have property managers which they hire on a monthly salary basis (INR 20k per month in the starting).

For this, you need to have budget management skills, communication skills, and market understanding. You can find these jobs on platforms like Naukri, indeed.com, etc.

15. Proofreading and editing

Editing

Everything that is ever written be it a blog, a business report, advertising material, or business proposals, requires proofreading and editing. If this is something you are good at because you like it or you generally do it in your current profession as well then there are plenty of opportunities out there.

In India, you can earn an extra monthly income of INR 15k-20k per month in starting. Once you gain a reputation then the earning will depend upon how much time you devote to it.

You can find proofreading and editing work on platforms like freelancer.in, indeed.com, monsterindia.com.

16. Become a tutor online or at home

Teaching at home is one thing you can start right away. Just contact your neighborhood and inform them about you starting classes at home. Keep your fees low at the starting, deliver good results with your first batch, and then there is no turning back. You can even join online teaching platforms to teach as they pay really well. We personally know a few friends who have been teaching online on multiple platforms like Vedantu, Toppr and earn more than INR 50k per month.

17. Agent (life insurance or property), Commission only sales

Real estate agent

If you have good people skills then this is something that can be done anytime you want. Become an agent for insurance or broker for properties. In both of these, the earning purely depends upon the sales you make. Higher the sales, higher will be your earnings and there is no limit to it.

For insurance, you can become a Life Insurance Corporation Agent. For becoming a property agent you can connect with companies like ProsperMe.   

18. Virtual assistant

A virtual assistant is a freelancer or an independent contractor who helps clients with administration-related services but works outside the client’s office. You should have good experience as an office manager to get started with virtual assistant work. It will also serve as a good opportunity for you to work with important people and build your professional network.

You can earn INR 25k-30k per month in the starting and can increase depending upon the type of client your work with. It is amongst the most unpopular second-income ideas in India.

You can find great opportunities on Indeed, Upwork, Fiverr, etc.

19. Digital Marketing Consultant

Digital marketing

If you have knowledge in this subject then there are innumerable opportunities out there. You can even do a course on digital marketing and then look out for opportunities since the demand is so high. Small businesses look for such consultants so that they can reach their targeted audience.

You can find ample opportunities on naukri.com, indeed.com, etc.

If you land up with a good company then you can earn an extra income of INR 35k per month in India.

20. Public speaking

Public Speaking actually comes on the list of things humans are most feared of. But this can turn out to be a very good opportunity for you if you love public speaking. Businesses require people to speak for them in a public gatherings, introduce their new products or make sales pitch.

Even though you are not a direct employee of the company, if you are good at it then you can become their face in the public. You can get these gigs on LinkedIn, Upwork, etc

So folks these were the 20 things that you can do in India along with your current job to earn extra money and generate a second source of income for yourself. But remember to check the policies in your current company about the employees having a second source of income. Some companies do not allow their employees to have a second source of income at all or sometimes they prohibit the employees to have income in certain specific sectors. So make sure you take care of it.

You can also read our article on freelancing where we have explained everything about it in a very simple manner. Click here to read

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