The vending cart industry in India has a historic presence, even the format of the cart has not evolved a lot. Still the cart is made of wood with an iron frame to support the wheel and the wood. The cost of the cart being roughly around USD 10 and it makes the capital investment very low. Any one who feels to try his/her entrepreneur skill can invest in with the low capital amount and the stock. No licenses are required to operate such carts in India as they are not legal. When Government starts any action against them they disappear from the market and as soon as the caravan of the government vehicle passes by they reappear as nothing has happened ever. All it requires you to operate such cart is small amount of money (since very low capital), willingness to work and last but not least entrepreneur skill to operate your business.
The vending business in India can be seen across all the industry. One can find food, vegetables, fruits, clothes, shoes, toys, groceries and everything and anything on the cart put up for sale. Recently I have seen a cart selling very costly decorative item on the cart. The carts usually rule the street and at times you can find a specialized market for them which is set up by the local authorities (to improve the conditions of street vendors) generally known as Hatwada in Northern India. But the major industry that rules the vending industry in India is the food industry. You can find every kind of food being served on the plates of these local street food vendors, mostly unhygienic but at times hygienic too.
The scenario of vending business in India is now changing. With the efforts of the government (Ministry of Food Processing in India) and local authorities the vending business in India will see a tremendous change in coming years. With the PPP model a lot can happen which not only can improve the condition of the vending business in India as well as also be able to improve the quality being served on these street carts. Some companies Like KDCPL have already popped in for a better street vending in India.