From a History Student in Jammu & Kashmir to Building a Startup

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My name is Sugam Singh.

On April 20, 2025, I started learning programming from absolute zero.

At that time, I was a third-year History major student in college. I wasn't studying Computer Science or Engineering. I had no technical background, no mentor, and no clear roadmap.

I come from Jammu & Kashmir, where most parents want their children to get a stable 9-to-5 government or private job. Entrepreneurship or building a startup isn't something many people around me see as a realistic career.

But I wanted something different.

So every day, after college, I sat in front of my laptop and learned one concept at a time.

The beginning was painful.

Simple programs didn't work. Bugs took hours to fix. There were days when I questioned whether I had started too late.

Still, I kept going.

Over time, I learned HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, Node.js, Express, MongoDB, APIs, authentication, and full-stack development.

Instead of only watching tutorials, I started building real projects.

My first major project was AI-Mart.

After that, I began building Rigga—a startup idea focused on helping people stay accountable to the promises they make to themselves.

Along the way, I realized that building a startup isn't just about writing code. It's about learning communication, English, business, product design.

I'm still at the beginning of my journey.

I haven't launched a billion-dollar company.

I haven't become financially free.

Right now, I'm searching for a business idea in India that solves a real problem—something I can build, scale, and eventually turn into my primary source of income.

I'm not looking for a quick-money scheme.

I'm looking for a problem worth dedicating years of my life to.

If you've built a business, worked at a startup, or have seen an opportunity that most people ignore, I'd genuinely love to hear your advice.

What business opportunity in India do you think has the biggest potential over the next 10 years?