Crowdfunding is in a very nascent, infantile phase in India. There are a few legal issues presented by SEBI and the infrastructure for crowdfunding is still extremely poor. Despite this, crowdfunding is still alive and kicking. The success of websites like Wishberry, Ketto, Start51, and multiple projects being launched by proxy on international platforms like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo is testament to this. Many projects have gained critical acclaim through these websites, setting up a precedent for a rich market for funding projects through the general public. Some of these projects are inspirational, and we’ve made a list of 5 of our favourites!

Exploride

We can’t start this list without mentioning the viral project that became Asia’s most funded. Exploride is a transparent heads up display (HUD) that lets you access information without distracting you from the road. It allows you to control music, make and receive phone calls, read texts and view maps, all with voice and gesture control. It received almost $500K (5 times its goal) and placed its product for an affordable $299. It owes its success to publicity in the initial run by Tech in Asia and a seed amount of $75K invested by Project Guerilla amongst others.

The Great Indian Obsession

When engineer Adhitya Iyer created an independent T-shirt brand selling engineering themed clothing, he realised there were a lot more engineers like him, working in a field that wasn’t their true calling. Intrigued by this, he wanted to find what made so many opt for this dreaded career choice. After a few years of working, he quit his job, borrowed funds from a friend, and went backpacking across the country to understand this ‘Great Indian Obsession’. This later became the title of the book his journey inspired him to pen. He quickly set up a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, and managed to gain almost $14,000 as funding for his project.

TransVision

Rachana Mudraboyina, a transgender activist from Hyderabad, observed the way the general public had been wary of the Hijra community for years. She knew this was just a matter of lack of awareness and misinformation. Along with filmmaker Moses Tulasi, she had a vision of creating a YouTube channel exclusively talking about trans issues in India and spreading awareness about the Hijra community. Their campaign was wildly successful, and raised around 5 and a half lakhs. She ultimately started a campaign on this Youtube channel, TransVision, to create a 25 part web-series with three other co-hosts; Anjali Kalyanapu, Jhanvi Rai and Sonia Shaik.

Team Defianz

Formula Student UK® is a student design competition that is massively popular in Europe. Team Defianz aimed to win this competition. Like many others from India, they decided crowdfunding was the way to go to back their designs.

A group of 30 students, their task involved designing and manufacturing a Formula One style racing car that would be sold to non-professional weekend autocross racers. With an ambitious goal of Rs 3.5 lakhs and a mammoth task ahead of them, they raised 4 lakhs and put their design to use in September this year. Although the results are still pending, with multiple accolades including Best Team in Asia (2016) and Best Design (2009), they’re bound for a stellar future.

Local Kung Fu 2

When Kenny Basumatary set out to create India’s first kung fu comedy, he didn’t imagine it would become a viral success. With a budget of just Rs. 90,000, he managed to create an action comedy that won the hearts of many in his home state of Assam. After almost four years, he set out to make a sequel with an entirely new plot. An adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors and retaining almost the entire cast of the prequel, he set out with a more ambitious goal this time. In order to have a wider release, he set a higher goal of 8 lakhs. Gaining support from a few celebrities and other fans of the first film, he funded his project by 111% on Wishberry. Inspite of a few issues with the local Assamese cinemas, the film was a success and became another beloved cinematic feature.