‘I earn in Sweden, invest in Indian properties’: Mumbai woman on starting her business after relocating

A Mumbai-born entrepreneur, Jyoti Wakchaure, has built a social media marketing business in Gothenburg, Sweden after relocating on a dependent visa in 2016 and surviving an abrupt job loss. Wakchaure launched a YouTube channel in 2018, incorporated her company in 2020 during the pandemic, and now earns about ₹1 lakh per month while keeping most of her investments in India, primarily in property.

"My worst memory/experience would be when I got fired from my job without any prior information and it was pretty shocking. It was quite sudden and unfair," Wakchaure said, describing the turning point that pushed her toward entrepreneurship.

Context and background

Wakchaure moved to Sweden in 2016 after her husband received a job offer; she arrived on a dependent visa. The shock of being dismissed from employment spurred her to develop a side hustle into a business. She began content creation and a YouTube channel in 2018 and formally started offering social media marketing services to local small businesses in 2020, amid the pandemic.

Her company primarily serves Swedish clients as her network in the country expanded, and she runs most operations from home to keep overheads low. Wakchaure says business-related monthly expenses are around ₹15,000 for apps and editing software, and not having to rent office space is "a huge saving in itself."

• Relocated: 2016 (dependent visa)
• YouTube channel started: 2018
• Company founded: 2020
• Average monthly income: ₹1 lakh
• Monthly business expenses: ₹15,000

Work, earnings and investments

Wakchaure reports an average income of ₹1 lakh per month from her digital agency and related content activities. She told the interviewer she "mostly have my investments in India as in property and recently started investing in Sweden as well," signalling a dual-market approach that leverages earnings in Sweden to finance assets back home.

Her investment strategy reflects an NRI pattern that balances local stability with ties to India: holding real estate in India while slowly adding assets in Sweden. The decision to maintain India-based property investments also aligns with long-term familial and financial considerations often cited by expatriates.

Personal impact and outlook

Beyond finances, Wakchaure credits life in Sweden with reshaping her outlook. "I think I have changed a lot after moving to Sweden. There are pros and cons to every place but I think I became more calm, kind, punctual, independent and started liking the ways of Sweden. I am grateful that I have built my career and life in Sweden. I rediscovered myself and found a new identity," she said.

Her trajectory—from being fired unexpectedly to founding a home-based digital agency and growing a YouTube presence—illustrates how immigrant professionals can pivot careers after relocation. Wakchaure’s next steps include scaling client work while continuing to diversify investments between India and Sweden, leveraging lower operating costs to sustain growth.