Top Legitimate Ways to Make Money Online in India

Making money online is becoming increasingly popular in India. Not only does it provide a source of income, but it also allows for flexibility and the ability to work from home. 

One of the advantages to make money online in India is access to the global market. With the rise of the internet, it is easier than ever before to connect with people all around the world. As an individual, you can take advantage of this not just for entertainment but to increase your earning potential. With over 13000+ remote job postings it can clearly be said that online work opportunities are gaining momentum.

Now you must be wondering, what are those ways to make money online from home?

To answer your question here is the list of top online ways to make money online in India. But before that let’s know why is it important to earn online in today’s time.

Benefits of Making Money Online in India

1. Work Flexibility

Work flexibility is without any doubt the most important aspect of working and making money online in India. When you work online you have the choice to work as per your schedule. You can give as many hours of a day and as many days of a week as you want. This kind of working flexibility is not possible in a regular 9-5 job where you have to clock in and out as per the time fixed by the company.

2. Better Work-Life Balance

When you make money online from home you are able to give more time and attention to your family and personal life. This not only works in the favour of working women but men too, who miss out on important moments with their families to work. With online work opportunities, you can balance how you spend your time on family and work.

3. Limitless Earning Potential

After the question of how to make money online in India ? Next comes the question of how much money can I make online. The answer is, unlimited. Yes, with hundreds and thousands of opportunities waiting you can earn as much money as you want; if you possess the right skills.

4. Generate Passive Income

Who said you have to keep working to earn money? If you know the right ways to make money online in India, you can generate a good amount of passive income. Passive income is the source of income which keeps paying you even when you are not working actively. You just need to invest time and skills once and after that keep earning for a lifetime.

5. Live Your Dream Life

The end goal of working is earning enough money to live life on your own terms, and nothing is better than doing so from the comfort of your home. With online earning you can do so, you can earn your dream life by just giving a few hours of your day. Top 20 Ways to Make Money Online in India

Top 20 Ways to Make Money Online in India

Ideas	Estimated Earning	Skills Required
Freelancing	4 lacs	Communication Skills Website Design Copywriting Digital Marketing Problem Solving And many more
Affiliate Marketing	2 lacs	Problem Solving Skills Marketing Skills Sales Skills Communication Skills Digital Marketing
Online Tutoring	2.5 lacs	Subject Matter Expertise Teaching Skills Technical Skills Communication Skills Empathy
Data Entry	1.5 lac	Typing speed & accuracy Communication Skills Time Management Skills Attention to detail
Transcription Services	2.4 lacs	Multi-tasking Skills Attention to detail Listening Skills Typing Skills Proofreading & Editing
Virtual Internships	1.8 lacs	Flexibility Technical Skills Cultural Awareness Time Management Skills Self-Driven
Beta Test Website and Apps	2 lacs	Computer Competence Time Management Skills Record Keeping Attention to detail
Print-On-Demand	3.6 lacs	Creativity Marketing Skills Communication Skills Computer Skills
Micro-Gigs	2 lacs	Multi-Tasking Skills Technical Skills Attention to detail Problem Solving Skills And many more
Sell Digital Templates	1.9 lacs	Creativity Designing Skills Selling Skills Digital Marketing Problem Solving Skills
Sell Photos and Videos	1 lac	Photography Skills Photo &Video Editing Skills Creativity Digital Marketing
Virtual Event Planning	5 lacs	Technical Skills Management Skills Communication Skills
Sell Your Art	1 lac	Creativity Digital Marketing Communication Skills
Podcasting	6 lacs	Vocabulary & Pronunciation Interviewing Skills Marketing Skills Editing Skills
Voice Overs	3.3 lacs	Voice Clarity & Flexibility Reading Fluency Acting Skills Technical Knowledge
Online Fitness Training	2 lacs	Communication Skills Empathy & Emotional Intelligence Technical Knowledge Patience & Motivation
Trade Cryptocurrency	4 lacs	Risk Management Decision Making Skills Trading Discipline Data Analysis Researching Skills
Virtual Travel Agent	2 lacs	Communication Skills Decision-Making Skills Good Customer Service Persuasion Skills Technical Skills
Sell Online Course	3 lacs	Content Creation Digital Marketing Management Skills Video/Audio Recording & Editing Communication Skills
Take Online Surveys	1 lac	Attention to detail Decision- Making Skills Research Skills

20 Terrific Ways to Make Money Online from Home

1. Freelancing

Freelancing is the very first option that comes to mind when someone talks about working online, and the reason is quite obvious because freelancing is so successful. Freelancing means providing your expertise and skills to people who need them to solve their problems. These skills can be anything, it can be content writing, editing, proofreading or copywriting. Using these skills, you can several national and international clients and can make money online in India with ease.

Steps To Get Started

1. Recognize the skills you have and are interest to provide service for.
2. Practice and create professional portfolio for this or of any previous work.
3. Register yourself on the freelancing sites like Freelancer.com, UpWork, Fiverrr etc.
4. Find the freelancing gigs which matches your skills and pays decently.
5. Quote your rate and pick the work from customer
6. Once completed, submit the work and get paid.

Also Read:
A Beginner’s Guide on How to Become a Freelancer
15+ Best Freelance Marketplaces and Platform in 2023

2. Affiliate Marketing

This is the second most preferred and popular way to make money online from home. In affiliate marketing you work as a digital retailer for other people, just the difference is you don’t have to stock the products. As an affiliate marketer, you will be promoting the products of your selected companies and with every purchase made from your marketing, you will get a commission. Some of the most popular affiliate marketing programs in India are run by Amazon and Flipkart. You can become their affiliate and start earning.

Steps To Get Started

1. Select the niche for which you want to affiliate
2. Register yourself in any affiliate program and get trained
3. After training, you’ll receive affiliate links to your selected products
4. Start promoting your products through Social Media and Blogging
5. Once customers start buying through your affiliate link you will start earning

Read about Affiliate Marketing in India- Best Guide for Beginners.

3. Online Tutoring

If you possess expertise in certain subjects and are wondering how to make money online in India through this knowledge, then online tutoring is the answer. The time has gone when tutors and learners have to be face to face, for teaching and learning. Today, if you have knowledge, a smartphone/ laptop and a stable internet connection then you can start tutoring students online. 

One great opportunity to teach students and make money online in India is becoming Chegg Subject Matter Expert. As Chegg’s Expert, you will be using your subject knowledge to answer the questions asked by students on the platform. You will be answering the posted questions and for every correct answer, you will get paid. With 20+ subjects to choose from, you can easily become the expert of the subject of your choice and start earning online.

Steps To Get Started

1. Sharpen your subject matter knowledge and start searching for tutoring platforms
2. Register yourself on the online tutoring platform and post your subjects
3. Once you go live you will start finding many students, quote them your price
4. After they have confirmed and both parties have discussed the schedule; start teaching online
5. At the end of every month get paid

Suggested Read: Best Online Teaching Platforms in India

4. Data Entry

Every company needs to maintain records of their every transaction, business dealing, income, expenditure, loan etc. Often this task is done by the data entry operator because senior accountants have other tasks to do. If you are someone who is good at operating computers and knows about keeping accounts then you can easily make money online in India, through data entry jobs. And the best part about data entry jobs is that they don’t require you to work the whole day, just 3-4 hours a day and you can earn a fixed monthly income.

Steps To Get Started

1. Sharpen your computer skills and start looking for good platforms to start working with
2. After selecting the platform for data entry jobs, register yourself on it
3. Search for data entry job postings and select the ones which meet your needs
4. Complete the task assigned and get paid

5. Transcription Services

Providing Transcription Services is another way to make money online in India. As a transcriptionist, you are required to transcript the audio and video data into written form. Usually, these services are required by clients who work with international clients themselves and communicate in a foreign language. Then they hire transcription service providers to translate each and every conversation from one language to another. Who listen to every conversation with attention and type each word in the exact same manner, with a time and date stamp. As a transcriptionist, you can make quite good money if you are the best at your work and can handle multiple clients.

Steps To Get Started

1. Start with choosing your specialisation and niche of transcription
2. Sharpen your typing and general computer skills
3. Register yourself on job portals and platforms, and start applying
4. Once you find suitable client, start working for them
5. Complete every transcription work assigned and earn money after completion

6. Virtual Internships

This way to make money online in India is one of the best ways for students and someone who wants to change their career. Virtual Internships are similar to in-office internships, the only difference is location and method of communication. As a virtual intern, you are required to complete all the day-to-day tasks which are assigned to you. The task will always be related to the field you are working for, and at the end of every month, you will be paid online too.

Steps To Get Started

1. Create a Resume including your education, experience and expertise
2. Build a Portfolio of your projects
3. Select an internship-providing platform like Internshala or LinkedIn
4. Start applying for multiple internships
5. Get selected and start working and make money online from home

Explore a list of best work from home internships.

7. Beta Test Website and Apps

If you are someone who is from an IT background and ’t know how to make money online in India, then you might want to know about beta testing. In the beta testing of websites and apps, you are required to do there thorough testing. You need to check if all features working properly and if there are any bugs to be removed or any other improvements. You will give your honest review after running the test, there are several websites on which you can find work as a beta tester. Some of the popular websites are Tester Work, BetaTesting and Test.io

Steps To Get Started

1. Register yourself on any of the beta testing platforms
2. Start searching for the projects which meet your experience and skills
3. Start testing the assigned website or app and submit your review after testing
4. Once your feedback gets authorization, you will get paid

8. Print-On-Demand

Print-on-demand is a growing business model with major profit margins. The best thing about a print-on-demand business is anyone can start it and make money online in India. In this business model products like t-shirts, mugs, posters, tote bags etc are printed with graphic designs and are sold online. However, the difference is that as a print-on-demand business owner, you don’t need to manufacture or store the products. It will be done by a third party who will do everything for you from printing to shipping goods. In return, they will charge some amount but you still can earn good profits. Some of the popular print-on-demand platforms are RedBubble, Printful and Frankly Wearing.

Steps To Get Started

1. Create a website as your up-front business store
2. Link your store with the printing platform
3. Create design and publish them on website and promote them
4. Once you start getting orders the printing platform will print only that number of items and ship them to customer
5. You will get your share of money directly in your bank account

9. Micro-Gigs

Micro-gigs or Micro-jobs are small jobs that need to be done in a few minutes. These kinds of jobs might seem insignificant but can help you make money online in India, quite easily. Micro-gigs are posted online by entrepreneurs or solopreneurs who work alone and handle a whole lot bunch of different tasks. They often don’t have time to do small tasks like making an excel sheet, drawing a to-do list for a day or writing emails. So, they post for the micro-gig job and hire someone who can do these tasks for them, and once done they pay them immediately. Some of the best sites to find gig jobs are Fiverr, GigBucks, Appen etc.

Steps To Get Started

1. Make an account and register yourself on any of the gig posting platforms
2. Browse through various gig postings and sort out the one matching your skills and interest
3. Once you find some gigs apply for it, the job poster will review your profile and working experience
4. If you get selected you will receive the task
5. Complete the task, get feedback from the job poster and earn your money

10. Sell Digital Templates

Today every task is being done digitally from earning online to creating a daily timetable. People create their schedules, weekly, monthly and yearly timetables on digital planners. But do you know you can make money online from home by creating templates for these planners? That’s right these digital templates have value and are quite in demand, people even get them personalized as per their choice. So, if you are interested in this job, you start creating your own digital templates and selling them online. Etsy and Canva are some of the best platforms to create and sell digital templates in one place.

Steps To Get Started

1. Research and think about various template ideas
2. Select the niche (corporate, educational) for which you want to create templates and know about their pain points.
3. Once done with the previous step, start creating digital templates
4. Create an online store on any of the platforms
5. Start promoting and marketing your templates on social media
6. Once templates start selling your earnings will commence

11. Sell Photos and Videos

If you love clicking photos and making videos of different sceneries then you can make money online in India by selling your photos and videos. That’s right the photos and videos which are taking up lots of space in your phone’s memory you can sell them online. Platforms like ShutterStock, Adobe Stock, Square space etc always need creative and beautiful pictures and videos. You can register yourself on these platforms and sell your pictures.

Steps To Get Started

1. Make account on any of your preferred website
2. Pass their eligibility criteria to upload the quality of pictures and videos
3. Once you meet their criteria, you can start uploading pictures and videos
4. And every time anyone buys or downloads your pictures or videos you get paid as royalties

12. Virtual Event Planning

When everything can be done online then why not event planning? Just like offline events are planned face-to-face, virtual events need planning too. In this post-pandemic era, people are still preferring to attend events virtually. To make these virtual events successful virtual event planning is done. In this type of event planning a planner needs to make sure that all the parties attending virtual events have the right equipment, lighting, sound, background and stable internet connection. So, if you think you have the right skills and creativity to manage and organise virtual events then you can enter this field and make money online in India.

Steps To Get Started

1. Complete the Legal and Registration Formalities
2. Estimate your investment and learn about important digital tools
3. Start researching about the type of people who need your services
4. Reach out to those people, promote your business and services to them

13. Sell Your Art

An artist can never go short of ideas to make money online in India, and if you are an artist then use your art to earn a livelihood. There are several art enthusiasts who will pay for your creativity. So, if you are a traditional artist, a digital illustrator or a handicraft artist then you can put your art on any online platform and sell it to the people who would love to buy them. Some of the best platforms to sell your art are Etsy, Amazon and eBay

Steps To Get Started

1. Make your own website or create an account on any art selling platform
2. Promote your artworks by describing about them
3. Pack and ship the product once an order is placed
4. You will receive money in your bank account linked to your website or platform

Also Read:
How to Sell Products Online
20 Best Reselling Apps in India

14. Start Podcasting

With about 30% which is over 120 million monthly podcast listeners on Spotify alone, it can be said that podcasting is reigning in today’s time. Podcasting refers to sharing your thoughts, knowledge and experiences with people in audio format. Today anyone can become a podcaster with the right equipment, but the question is how to make money online in India from podcasting.

Well, there are several ways, you can work in sponsorship with brands, do affiliate marketing of products on your podcast, or create premium content for your listeners for which they have to pay. The methods are unlimited, you just have to select, you can start your podcasting channel on any platform but some of the trusted ones are Spotify and Audible.

Steps To Get Started

1. Select your niche for podcasting
2. Get your equipment and software ready
3. Create podcasting channel on any of your selected platform
4. Start creating podcasts and build listener’s base during initial stage
5. Once have good listener’s base start doing sponsorships and affiliate marketing and make money online in India

15. Do Voice Overs

This is another method to make money online in India through audio mode. In voiceovers you are required to record some dialogues, files or any conversation in your voice; and for every file completed, you get paid. This source of income has risen since the popularity of audiobooks and TikTok. Where in audiobooks people can listen to books rather than read, and on TikTok people make videos using several different audios. So, if your voice is crisp and clear and you can speak any language fluently then start voice-over.

Steps To Get Started

1. Practice and develop your voice
2. Start recording videos and audio of your voice
3. Upload your recorded file on the selected platform for approval
4. Once get approval you will be assigned the files to voice over, and once you pass the higher eligibility criteria you can select your files to voice over

 16. Online Fitness Training

Since the pandemic hit the world, every person has gotten to know the importance of physical health. This led to a sudden rise in gym memberships and the demand for personal trainers. So, if you are someone who has good knowledge about physical health, diets and training then you can make money online in India by working as an online fitness trainer. You can set up your online fitness workshop by creating a website and promote your classes on social media and start getting clients.

Steps To Get Started

1. Get Certified as Fitness Trainer from certified organisation etc
2. Choose the type of clients you want to work with i.e; elderly, women, men, disabled
3. Create your fitness training website and start establishing your online presence
4. Create Programs, record videos of your training
5. Once you start getting customers for personal training sessions, you can start earning

17. Trade Cryptocurrency

If making through some more new and interesting ways is something you like then you should give trading in cryptocurrency a try. Cryptocurrency is the digital currency which is used as a medium of exchange, these currencies are not issued by the government that’s why there is always an element of risk involved in their trading. But if you gain good knowledge about cryptocurrency and have the patience to keep learning about it, then you can make money online in India.

 Steps To Get Started

1. Start by researching and learning about basics of cryptocurrency
2. Choose the crypto currency exchange which deals with the cryptocurrencies you want to deal in. After that make account and get it verified
3. Start funding the account once verified, you can link your bank account to transfer funds
4. Choose the trading pair of cryptocurrencies, as these are always traded in pair
5. Now place order for the selected paid of cryptocurrency and monitor their growth. You can buy and sell them as market or need

Read about Ways to Earn Bitcoin for Free in 2023.

18. Become Virtual Travel Agent

There are many people who love to travel but don’t know how to make travelling arrangements, if you know how to operate a computer fairly then you can help such people. Becoming a virtual travel agent is the way, through which you can make money online in India. What you need to do is just book, flight/train tickets, make hotel booking arrangements and any other bookings that clients may need at the place they are travelling to. In return, you will get paid for your services, remember this is a task of great trust and importance as you will be responsible for the travel and stay of your clients at the place, they are unknown of.

Steps To Get Started

1. Get License and Registration documents to work as virtual agent
2. Set up your website or consider to use host agency
3. Start promoting your business, you can inform your connections
4. Once you start getting clients, you will start earning stable income

19. Sell Online Course

Creating and selling online courses one of another way to make money online in India. If you have expertise in any field, or subject or know how to use any software then you can help others by creating an online course. This in return will give you monetary funds, as you can sell your courses and earn great passive income. This method of making money online is especially best for industry experts, professors and experienced working professionals. These people can create a course and upload it once and keep generating income every time someone buys their course.

Steps To Get Started

1. Select the niche or subject on which you want to make course
2. Keep your recording equipment ready
3. Start recording course videos and create learning material for course
4. Start promoting and marketing your course
5. Put your course on the course selling platform of your choice i.e; Coursera, Udemy etc. And start earning after each sale

20. Take Online Surveys

Who has thought that taking online surveys and giving your honest opinions can help you make money online in India? Online surveys are conducted by various companies that need feedback on their products, collect data and form a customer base. There are several websites and platforms on which you can find multiple surveys as per your interest and earn money online. Some of the SwagBucks, Inbox Dollars, Opinion Outpost and many others

Steps To Get Started

1. Select the niche type for which you would like to take surveys
2. Register yourself on multiple survey platforms
3. Browse and find the surveys best suited for you
4. Fill out the surveys carefully and diligently and submit them
5. Once your filled responses get approval, you will get paid

Tips to Successfully Make Money Online in India

1. Customer is King, Understand Them

If you want to make money online from home, then the very first thing you need to do is understand your customer’s needs. Don’t just start selling your product/service, research whether someone needs your product/service or not. And if the answer is yes, then plan to deliver it in a way that your product/service solves the customer’s pain point, resulting in your sales.

2. Be Authentic

Authenticity, whether it’s in a product or in a person, it always looks the best. If you are authentic and do your work sincerely, providing original products/services, then no one can surpass you. So, whenever your start working and make money online in India then be sure to make originality on the table.

3. Keep Your Online Tools Handy

In your online work, it is your digital tools and software which are your closest colleagues, with whom you are going to work and make money online in India. So, make sure to keep all your digital tools in one place and ready to use. Make sure to renew the subscription of the ones which provide paid services. And yes, never forget to keep backup data of every software, like saved research results, previous work etc. So that nothing is lost if something happens.

4. Learn Technical Skills

 The online world has a lot of competition. If you want to stand out from the crowd then you need to make sure that your online business presence is noticeable. The best way to do so is optimising your content’s SEO (Search Engine Optimization). So, learn about SEO, and all the other digital marketing aspects to work and make money online in India.

5. Use Easy Payment Options

Working online means getting payments digitally. While this was one scary concept a decade ago, today it has become a common notion. And as a person working and earning online, you want to make sure that you have multiple options to receive payments from your customer all around the world. So, make sure to use easy, trustworthy and secure payment platforms. Some of the most used payment options are PayPal, VISA, ETEF etc.

Start Your Online Earning Journey

Digitalization is here, and it is here to stay. And it urges you to change your ways, not just of living but also how you earn your livelihood. The time has gone when waking up early and going to office to work and earn was the way to make money. No, today you can make money online in India.

So, don’t wait start your online earning journey today, and if your wan so ideas for where to start; then you can revisit this article and choose from any of the ideas mentioned.

Dive in to our guide to explore all about online jobs to fit any lifestyle. 

Frequently Asked Questions

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