Start a Business in India as an NRI: 2026 Setup Checklist

Key Takeaways

• Write a plan: Despite telling people repeatedly, most still don't do it
• Never use a land-cleanliness percentage: Require independent title, encumbrance, survey, land-use, access, litigation, and seller-authority checks
• Adapt operations lawfully: Learn local process and timelines without compromising ethics or using unofficial shortcuts
• No free lunch: If a deal seems too good, it probably is
• Expert advice is essential: Hire people who've done it before, not advisors who haven't

The Vision: Manchester Global School

Dr. Kondal Reddy's vision was ambitious - creating a truly world-class educational institution:

"We wanted to establish a world-class school, truly world-class in Hyderabad, to implement the ideas that I had to grow pioneers, leaders, path breakers for tomorrow whether it's science, technology, medicine."

"If it was just making money, you would have started a chain of schools and it would have been fine. But we really wanted to create an institution that leaves a legacy."

Lesson 1: Write a Plan (Most People Don't)

The first and most ignored advice:

"Despite me telling so many times, people still don't do it. So I'll start with writing a plan. Open your plan."

Coming on a job is easy. Starting a business requires a written plan - yet most returning NRIs skip this critical step.

Lesson 2: Land - The First Major Challenge

For any business requiring land, this is where problems start:

"The problem starts with the land. There is nothing called 100% clean land in Hyderabad. There's always something."

Treat the interview quote as a warning, not a legal threshold

Do not proceed because somebody says land is "90% clean." Property title is not a percentage. Use independent lawyers and qualified survey or planning professionals to verify the exact parcel, transaction chain, encumbrances, litigation, land use, zoning or master-plan status, access, boundaries, seller authority, taxes, acquisition restrictions, and required approvals.

Critical land checks before signing or paying

• ✓ Use an independent property lawyer who does not represent the seller or broker
• ✓ Verify title chain, encumbrance records, litigation, seller authority, taxes, survey boundaries, and legal access
• ✓ Confirm land use, conversion, zoning, master-plan status, environmental limits, and project-specific permissions
• ✓ Put representations, conditions precedent, refund rights, and document delivery obligations in the contract
• ✓ Do not pay or register based on urgency, verbal clearance, political access, or a percentage-clean claim

"Despite of that we had some issues but we were able to resolve through various ways. We had some difficulties with the people who sold us the land but that's okay - that's part and parcel of the life."

Lesson 3: Location Research - Trust Your Own Analysis

When selecting their location, 7 out of 10 people said they were wrong:

"Almost seven out of 10 people said this is wrong location. 'Really, you are mad to build in this forest area this school. This is not right.' But we knew that this is the right location based on the research - the airports, where the city is going."

The Result

"3 years later everybody said this is the best location you have chosen. Just three years later - now we couldn't afford this land, the whole thing skyrocketed."

Lesson 4: Adapt to local operations without compromising law or ethics

This is perhaps the most important lesson for returning NRIs:

"You have to be a Roman in Rome. Don't try to be a Californian in Hyderabad. It won't work. Don't be a Londoner in Hyderabad. In Hyderabad, the system works in such a way. Learn the system."

Operational adaptation means learning the correct authority, application sequence, document format, language, inspection schedule, and realistic timeline. It does not mean bribery, false declarations, hidden ownership, unofficial payments, bypassing approvals, or compromising legal and ethical standards.

Use written applications, official portals, licensed professionals, documented fees, receipts, and auditable decisions. Escalate delays through lawful channels.

Lesson 5: Beware of "Limited Time" Deals

A common trap for returning NRIs:

"People say that oh this deal is only available until like 5 days. Come on, you know. So you see if it's available to you who is an NRI who just returned to India, it was available to millions of people before they came to you. Unless you are born to some minister or somebody."

"There's nothing called a free lunch. Don't believe it. Do your homework - doesn't matter."

Lesson 6: Use experienced, licensed professionals

"Don't get advice from the people who have not done this before. If somebody has... so our school 20 acres campus, we built six lakhs SFT - it's a big project by any standard. So I met at least four or five school owners who have done this. Not only in Hyderabad but in Delhi and somewhere else."

"If you skip those steps, it doesn't matter which company, which field you are going into - it's at your own peril. I will guarantee luck won't protect you. Luck only protects people who have taken the steps."

Lesson 7: Permissions and Construction

For significant construction projects:

Map every approval to the competent authority before design or construction begins. Depending on state, land, building, environment, fire, utility, education, labor, and local-body rules may all apply. Use architects, engineers, lawyers, company secretaries, chartered accountants, and permit specialists with verifiable credentials and written scopes. Do not use intermediaries to bypass law or official process.

Their Approach

• Hired specialists for permissions
• Went through 6-7 architects before selecting one who understood their vision
• Evaluated 6 different builders before hiring
• Built 600,000 SFT in 20 months

The Complete Checklist for NRI Entrepreneurs

Related Articles