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Entrepreneurs feed us well with their ideas and innovation to keep us excited of what things technology and internet can bring closer to us. This is particularly for startups where unique ideas breed. Ofcourse, MNCs arguably couldn’t have thought of running among world’s largest businesses in cab services, hotel, food, etc., without owning a single cab, hotel or a restaurant. But while they seem innovative, they are certainly not unusual or wacky. Scroll down to peep into 10 of India’s most crazy-sounding businesses that might pop your eyes out.
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Just for unmarried: Delhi-based Stay Uncle provides ‘safe haven’ for couples looking for privacy to spend time. But why do couples should look at it? Because it’s for the unmarried ones. Moral policing in the past few years by police or vigilante groups have led to physical attacks on unmarried couples for their public display of affection and to ‘protect’ Indian culture. “Couple needs a room, not a judgement” is what Stay Uncle stands for that is present in more than 40 cities with more than 600 hotels on-board. (Image credit: Company Facebook page)
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Book your own cremation: This might be a little creepy. There is a long list of rituals in perhaps every religion that the deceased’s family members have to follow before and after cremation. For this, there is also several things to be arranged right from arranging ambulance, embalming if required, booking priests, cremation, prayer venue etc., in an already difficult time of grief and sorrow. To ensure all that happen peacefully, Mokshshil allows you to book your own funeral based on your religion and let your family grieve the loss. (Image credit: Company Facebook page)
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‘Firang’ flavour to your wedding: JoinMyWedding is completely unique. What it does is offer travellers from across the world coming to India to be a part of Indian weddings and experience the lavish cultural celebrations. The startup lists upcoming weddings on its portal that travellers can pay to attend. From the couple's perspective who are well travelled and have sort of global perspective to things around, it allows them to showcase their niche and valued rituals while at the same time gain back some of their wedding’s expense. (Image credit: Company website)
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Bow wow! Now a Facebook for your best friends: Dogs, our four-legged furry friends, are as integral members of our families as our parents or siblings. So integral that our love for them is visible even on our own social networks. But now they have a social network of their own – Boneafite. Users can do pretty much everything on Boneafite they do on Facebook, for instance, creating their pet’s profile, uploading pictures, liking them, connecting with pet parents, community events for their pets etc. It also runs several contests where winners get ‘bone’ (not points) to redeem offers listed online, for instance, discount on dog food. (Image credit: Company Facebook page)
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Now eat what you eat with: You can now eat what you eat with. That’s what Hyderabad-based Narayana Peespaty has been doing. A former scientist at the International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics, Peesapaty develops edible cutlery. For instance, the spoon made contains Carom, Cumin, Pepper, and salt. Moreover, it doesn’t have food preservatives and additives except the taste makers. The spoons have shelf life of more than three years and they even don’t get soggy until left within the liquid for 10 minutes or more. (Image credit: Company Facebook page)
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Smell well and your feets too: Smelly feet can sometime put you on the spot. For those who love their loafers or Crocs because they are too comfortable, they might not look at different shoe type unless they want even their shoes to smell good and equally comfortable. Scentra is a scented shoe brand launched in 2014 that has a certified orthopedic sole and and scented insole that intends to keep feet wrapped in pleasant smell. Made with eco-friendly fabric the company claims that shoes retain their fragrance even after multiple washes. (Image credit: Company Facebook page)
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Bag and Baggage: This must be a boon particularly for unmarried who migrate from hometowns to metros for jobs, education etc.,and have to fret over arranging for at least essential household items such as bed, utensils, linens, stove etc. Bengaluru-based Boriya Bistar does just that. The startup offers all these basic and inevitable things in a ‘bundle’ package which can also be customized based on the quantity required for let’s say number of bedsheets or bowls or washroom buckets etc. (Image credit: Company website)
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Holy cow! Digitized spirituality: There are roughly around 33 million gods, 10 lakh temples, and probably less than 100 assorted ‘pujas’ for different gods and occasions in India. And then is ‘prasad’ from each of these temple. Not that we seek prasad from each of them but at least from 10 temples in India like Tirupati, Vaishno Devi, Shirdi etc.Online Prasad, which not just home delivers prasad from these and many more temples across India but also organise ‘poojas’ and sell spiritual products such as gemstones, rudrakshas, idols etc. (Image credit: Company Facebook page)
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Pay tribute to deceased, online: Gujarat-based Shradhanjali.com is the online memorial portal for paying tribute to the deceased family members, friends and public figures. Users can create memorial profile, biography, upload photos, set anniversary reminders, post condolence messages in multiple languages along with videos for their departed loved ones. The startup offer services via one year and five year subscription for Rs 999 and Rs 3,999 respectively. SoulPrints based in Chennai is another similar service in India apart from obituary listings in newspapers in India and outside. Interestingly, it also helps in drafting your will. (Image credit: Company website)
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Himalayan air right in your lungs: The World Health Organisation’s last year report reiterated the toxic air quality level in Indian cities as 9 out of 10 world’s most polluted cities were in India. The opportunity here in hindsight is enormous to help people of world’s second most populous nation breathe pollution-free air. Pure Himalayan Air harvest air from Himalayan mountains and valleys which is filled into bottles using cold press compression. The company sells 10 litre bottle for Rs 550 providing around 160 shots of inhaling air. (Image credit: Company website)
