2026-06-12

Franchise

The Best Way to Start a Business in India: Lessons From My 13+ Year Entrepreneurial Journey

Starting a business in India is exciting.But it is also confusing, risky, and emotionally challenging especially for first-generation entrepreneurs.After spending more than 13 years in business, one thing has become very clear to me: The biggest cost in business is not money.It is the time lost while learning through mistakes.

Hi, I am Vivek Raman, Co-Founder and MD of Regrob Group.

Over the 15+ years, I have interacted with thousands of entrepreneurs, franchise seekers, investors, professionals, & business owners across India. And if someone asks me today:

What is the best and smartest way to start a business in India?

My answer would be: Start by learning from an existing successful business model.And one of the best ways to do that is through a franchise.

My First Business Experience

Back in 2009-2010, after leaving my first job, I started a travel business in Delhi/ ncr  through a franchise model.At that time, one of my college gujrati friends introduced me to his travel company called K2K Travel. I became their first franchise partner in Delhi/ncr .Looking back today, I realise that decision accelerated my business understanding tremendously.

Why?

Because the franchise already had:

• Hotel tie-ups
• Operational systems
• Vendor network
• Lead generation processes
• Customer handling experience
• Branding and business support

Instead of struggling alone for years, I entered a working ecosystem from Day one .Within two months, I learned practical business skills that most people only learn after years of trial and error.That experience became the foundation of my entrepreneurial journey.

For Franchise related query please call our experts at ☎+91-9870313070

My Biggest Mistake in Real Estate

After my tour and  travel business, I decided to enter the real estate industry.Real estate always fascinated me because of its scale, growth potential, and excitement.This was also my childhood project. At that time, there was only one organised real estate franchise brand in India. I explored some opportunities but eventually decided not to take any franchise.

Why?Because of youthful overconfidence.Like many young entrepreneurs, I believed, "I can build everything myself.The learning curve became longer.The mistakes became more expensive. And the business took almost 7+ years to properly stabilise and scale.Today, when I look back honestly, I strongly feel that if I had joined an established real estate franchise initially, I could have learned the industry much faster and at a lower cost.Maybe later I would still have built my own brand  but with more clarity, systems, and industry understanding.

Why Franchises Work for New Entrepreneurs

Many people misunderstand the franchise model.They think it limits creativity or independence.But in reality, a good franchise gives entrepreneurs:

• Faster market entry
• Industry exposure
• Brand credibility
• Operational guidance
• Marketing support
• Training systems
• Reduced learning cost
• Faster customer trust

A franchise is not just about using someone else’s brand.It is about learning business execution in the real world.And business execution is where most startups fail.

For Franchise related query please call our experts at ☎+91-9870313070

The Real Benefit: Shortening the Learning Curve

Every industry has hidden realities.

Whether it is:

• Real estate
• Food business
• Education
• Healthcare
• Retail
• Hospitality

There are operational lessons that cannot be learned from YouTube videos or motivational books alone.You learn them by working inside the industry ecosystem.

That is why even today, if I had to enter a completely new industry, I would seriously evaluate franchise opportunities first.Because smart entrepreneurs optimise for speed of learning.

What We Learned at Regrob

Today, Regrob is one of India’s leading tech-enabled real estate brokerage firms founded by IIT and IIM alumni.We work with 400+ developers across India and operate through 100+ franchise partners in multiple cities.Over the years, we have seen many entrepreneurs enter real estate through our franchise model.

Interestingly, some franchise partners later launched their own independent brands after gaining experience.

And we respect that.

Because mature entrepreneurship is not about controlling people forever.It is about helping people grow.Some partners continue working with Regrob while also building their own identity through co-branding models.That is how healthy business ecosystems evolve.

Franchise vs Starting Independently

This is not about saying franchises are always better than starting independently.

Both paths can create successful businesses.

But the important question is:

How quickly do you want to learn?

Because in business:

• Wrong decisions cost years
• Lack of guidance increases risk
• Slow learning reduces growth opportunities

Sometimes learning from an existing system is smarter than trying to reinvent everything alone.

For Franchise related query please call our experts at ☎+91-9870313070

Final Thoughts

Entrepreneurship is not only about having an idea.

It is about:

• Execution
• Systems
• Customer trust
• Sales
• Hiring
• Operations
• Consistency

And these things take years to master.

Your first business should focus more on learning than proving your ego right.

Because sometimes the smartest way to build your own empire…
is first understanding how another successful system operates.

About Regrob

Regrob is a tech-enabled real estate brokerage and franchise company founded by IIT and IIM alumni. The company works with 400+ developers across India and has a growing network of 100+ franchise partners across multiple cities.

If you are looking to start a real estate business or explore real estate franchise opportunities in India, Regrob provides technology, training, branding, and business support to help entrepreneurs grow faster.

For Franchise related query please call our experts at ☎+91-9870313070 Or fill this form to make us connect with you!

Visit our website: https://franchise.regrob.com/