When the House Becomes HQ: How Homeownership Fuels India’s Entrepreneurs
kabeer murugkar • September 23, 2025
Maybe the real start-up incubator is a set of house keys you own. I am not saying that! But our research is! From idli batter to tailoring units, from small shops to service providers, the story is the same: once you own the space, you finally own the freedom to take risks.
Our study of 280 households across 10 cities found that the self-employed are the most positively impacted group post-homeownership. In fact, 63% reported greater overall stability. That sense of permanence changes the game—because when you aren’t worried about your landlord hiking the rent or showing up unannounced, you’re free to dream a little bigger. It makes sense–when your personal (rental housing) and professional both are in a permanent state of transience, the thing you crave for the most is to hold on to something indefinitely. But of course, once you get that, it changes everything. Security breeds confidence.
Take the woman who turned her spacious new kitchen into an idli batter business. Reliable water, steady electricity, and no restrictions on how much she could store or sell–it all became possible only after moving into a home she owned. That’s not just comfort; that’s enterprise.
The numbers back it up. 22% of self-employed families reported higher earnings post-homeownership.
Also at HomeFirst we specialise in understanding the credit of a self-employed person
A permanent address allows shop owners, vendors, and micro-entrepreneurs to expand operations, diversify income, and make calculated bets they would’ve otherwise avoided. Many even began reinvesting profits straight back into their businesses, creating a virtuous cycle of growth.
And this isn’t just about rupees and returns. Stability at home brings mental calm, which seeps into business decisions. Owners told us they were less anxious, more focused, and more willing to plan for the long term. For families that once lived with the rollercoaster of rented housing, this calm is priceless.
So, when your home is your workspace, your lender must be your ally, quite literally. But it is them to utilize it to the fullest. A home may give stability, but it’s the courage of the self-employed that transforms stability into opportunity. The credit, in every sense of the word, belongs to them.
To read the full report click here.
