How Crowdfunding work in India/ All about Crowdfunding

What is Crowdfunding?

Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or a venture by raising money from a large number of people, especially via the internet. These people are called investors, and they can contribute any small amount of money depending on their capabilities. It targets individual donors.
There is a misconception that fundraising is more effective as compared to crowdfunding. However, the power of Internet, social media, virality and trends make crowdfunding campaigns more successful as opposed to traditional fundraisers. Did you know over US$34 billion was raised during 2015 using crowdfunding?

How Does Crowdfunding Work And What Is Its Origin/History of Crowdfunding?

If you're wondering that crowdfunding is a new concept which is slowly taking over, it is not. It has been practiced in India since ancient times, mostly for funding cultural and religious causes. We called it "Chanda" back then. The modern day crowdfunding originated from the West and is one of the best financing options for any cause, especially if it has a mass appeal.

Types Of Crowdfunding:

Is crowdfunding a single element? 

1. Equity-based crowdfunding
2. Reward-based crowdfunding
3. Debt-based crowdfunding
4. Litigation crowdfunding and lastly,
5. Donation-based crowdfunding

Here's more about each of them.

Types Of Crowdfunding:

1. Equity-based crowdfunding:  Before knowing more about this kind of crowdfunding, you should know that equity-based funding is illegal in a country like India. In simple words, it is a joint effort made by individuals to support the cause of other people or any other organizations in the form of equity. This is legal when we consider the United States, where it is mentioned in the 2012 legislation which allows a pool of small investors to come together.
2. Reward-based crowdfunding: This type of Crowdfunding is also known as the non-equity way of funding your project. It has been widely used for funding campaigns like supporting a free development of software, promotion of motion pictures, aiding scientific research and development of inventions, etc. The people who are funding are hopeful of returns from the project.
3. Debt-based crowdfunding: This is popularly known as 'Peer to Peer,' 'P2P,' 'marketplace lending' and even 'crowdlending.' Borrowers create campaigns to fulfill their financial needs, and lenders contribute towards the goal for an interest.
4. Litigation crowdfunding: It is a type of crowdfunding in which the plaintiff reaches out many different people to get funds for a court case; it mostly happens confidentially. The plaintiff asks money either in the form of a donation or gives a reward in return. Later on, if the claimant wins the case, the investor may get more than what he has invested. 
5. Donation-based Crowdfunding: The best example for this would be raising funds from individuals to support personal or social causes.

Applications Of Crowdfunding India

1. Crowdfunding for personal & Individual Use
2. Crowdfunding for real estate
3. Crowdfunding for startups (In India)
4. Crowdfunding for businesses in India
5. Crowdfunding loans
6. Crowdfunding college debt

Applications Of Crowdfunding

In the recent times, India has witnessed a massive growth in the startup industry. It is because people want to break out of the barrier of working 9-5 and our government supports it. The government has a significant role to play in this, as they're offering some advantages for startups such as relief from paying tax for the first three years and much more. Startups often look out for investors and try to approach VCs to get funding. Sometimes it gets tedious. Startups can try using crowdfunding as it increases the brand reach and it's easier than approaching a VC.


Crowdfunding Loans and College Debt:
Loans can be of any type - Personal loans, home loans, and even educational loans. Crowdfunding can be of great help to you in these cases. Whether you're a college student who's unable to repay the loan taken for completing your university education or you or your family member wants to undergo treatment for an ailment, crowdfunding is the answer as many generous individuals contribute to such causes.

Crowdfunding Rules In India:

Yes, apart from equity-based crowdfunding, other types are completely legal. Crowdfunding in India is governed by Securities and Exchange Board of India, popularly known as SEBI. It is the market regulator which mainly regulates the securities market. SEBI was set up in the year 1988 as a non-statutory body. The parliament passed the SEBI Act in 1992, which granted statutory powers to SEBI. There are certain guidelines laid down by SEBI to govern crowdfunding.
Now that you've got complete knowledge of crowdfunding and its applications and the legalities associated with it, You might be wondering how to get started?

How Do Crowdfunding Platforms Work?

Crowdfunding websites list your project/cause and help you raise money for it. You just have to create a campaign, set a goal and promote it. Some websites allow you to set up a campaign free of cost and charge you a minimal platform fee of 5% on the total funds raised. You can drive the campaign by yourself or for an additional fee, request the platform for assistance to reach your goal faster. 

Top Crowdfunding Platforms in India:

Following are Indias top crowdfunding platforms in India.
2) Ketto
Ketto is a crowdfunding platform which raises funds for various categories like NGOs, non-profits and is also used to support creative as well as personal causes. It was founded in 2012, and it is based in Mumbai. The platform fee ranges from 0 to 5%
4) FuelADreamFuelADream is a crowdfunding website for people who aim to raise funds for creative ideas, causes, charities, events, and community-led activities. They've successfully raised funds for innovative projects like the smartest ELECTRIC BICYCLE and much more.  Rs. 3000 is the fee to start a campaign, and 9% of the funds raised would be the platform fee.
BitGiving is another platform which raises funds for various causes from disaster management to financing the farmers and various personal causes. It allows you to Post stories about your experience with crowdfunding and shares other's experiences in this as well. It is completely free to start a campaign here. The platform fee varies between 6-10%.
ImpactGuru is a venture which was incubated in Harvard's Innovation Lab’s Venture Initiation Program in the USA. It started in 2014, and it is used to fund various causes ranging from donation-based to reward-based, personal or a cause, they have it all covered. All you have to pay is the platform fee of 0 to 8%.
DreamWallets is a Jaipur based crowdfunding startup which has many campaigns ranging in many categories such as Music, photography, food, fashion, environment and much more. They began their operations in July 2015. Start your campaign for free and just pay a platform fee of 5-9% after raising funds.
9) Start51
10) TheHotStart