India was a plethora of small businesses. It certainly doesn't appear to take much to start a business. All you need is a product that people want to buy. Everything ranging from chai, food, paan, haircuts or soda. One really only needs a gas stove (if they are cooking something) and possibly a cart or stand. Although this isn't a necessity either. While walking through Ahmedabad on a Saturday night we found ourselves walking through a spontaneous restaurant. Groups of people sat on blankets laying in the street and they surrounded large thali plates. Men ran through the crowd with bowls and pots refilling food on the plates as they saw fit. It appears as though the only real necessity is being willing to sell a product that people are willing to buy.
A haircutting 'saloon' consists of a storage closet sized garage. Just large enough for about 3 clients.
Our favorite breakfast spot in Hampi. The kitchen is in the corner where there is a two burner gas stove. Customers sit along the wall on a single bench or crowd around the tiny table in the center.
Second favorite breakfast spot in Hampi. This small business consists of a tent, a single table for cooking the idli, sambar, poori and instant coffee.
This street side cafe turned into an almost full-scale restaurant. Food is prepared on gas stoves on this cart and then brought to customers who sit at picnic tables behind the cart.
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