Bengaluru's youth are mastering entrepreneurship even before graduating 

BENGALURU:  Meeting experienced people and getting exposure in the field when I’m in college will give me an edge over others. The added income is also beneficial, and I love the financial freedom it brings me at such an early age,” says Shefali Rajan, a student at St. Joseph’s University.

Like Rajan, several other students are including a side hustle in their day-to-day activities. In her second year of BA in Visual Communication, Rajan has monetised her writing skills by becoming a copywriter.

What was born out of boredom during the pandemic, where she worked on designs for a friend for free, slowly turned into a part-time job. Intrigued by such a mode of working and earning, which she was easily able to carry out while attending college, she freelanced more and eventually landed a job that pays 30k per month. And she’s not even out of college yet.

Rajan also tried her hand at streaming on Twitch, where she talks about different areas of interest. Through ad revenue and donations, Rajan earns about $100 dollars per month when she streams consistently. With students eager to experiment and monetise their skills using all the platforms available to them, the internet has become their playground.

The freedom to indulge and invest in yourself and your interests has garnered a lot of attention from the student community. “My course is quite compatible with the freelancing gigs I undertake. So it’s easy to juggle both studies and work. Apart from the financial freedom, I love working in the industry, which gives me a perspective on the theory I study in college, ” says S Chaithanya, a student, copywriter, content writer, and freelance editor for movies.

She earns a total of 10k per month, enough for her to have hassle-free college days in Bengaluru. She is in the Media department of Christ University studying Communication and Media, English and Psychology. Shouldering their finances is a huge goal for students. Part-time jobs during college give students financial independence, inculcating in them the value for money and how best to spend it while also easing their career anxiety.

With creativity and hard work, students are learning how to use social media for their benefit rather than mindless scrolling. Isha Jahnavi, who won the beauty pageant, Miss Teen Beautiful, is a yoga instructor, and a busy student juggling a triple major in Psychology, English and Journalism at Mount Carmel College.

“I have multiple sources of income from the yoga classes, my bootstrapped business, and the books I write,” says the 19-year-old, adding that this trend of student entrepreneurship will bring a generation of independent youth with a spirit for change.