New Delhi, May 10 -- When 35-year-old Rooma Sinha listed her studio apartment in Goa's Arpora village on Airbnb two years ago, she wasn't sure about how things would play out. Renting the apartment out would assure her of a steady income, but the AirBnB listing had the potential to help her earn much more. However, things were slow for many months after she listed on the alternative stay platform and the takings weren't enough to sustain her.

That changed last year.

"I saw bookings shoot up on Airbnb," says Sinha, who resides in Bengaluru. Indeed, the apartment's average occupancy had gone up to 80% and that gave her the confidence to go all in. "I quit my job at a financial firm last year and am focusing on my business fulltime."

Sinh...