Advice on visa (New Delhi)

Hi all,

First some background:
I am from the Netherlands, but want to move to New Delhi in July this year. I am following my girlfriend who is from there. She has been here in the Netherlands for the past 2.5 years.
We want to move to Delhi now however, for at least 1 year. We feel her family is in more need of her presence at this moment, than my family of mine (health and age). It is also a chance for me to experience what it is like living and working in Delhi. After this year we will take a more definitive descision on where to build our life together.

Now for the advice I seek:
For me to come to India I need a Visa. However in my field of work (design), I will not be realistically able to meet the income requirement of an employment Visa. I have however found two design agencies that would be happy to hire me, and I would be happy to work for.
Is there any way to legally accomplish this? I am thinking in the direction of working for them as an a self employed consultant with a business visa. Or perhaps together with my girlfriend starting up our own consultancy in Delhi (though I am hesitant, since we both have no real experience running a business, and I am still rather unfamiliar in Delhi/India).
Do any of you have experience in doing something like this, and how to work this out in terms of Visa? Any other routes?

Also, as for the marriage route, that is obviously the most convenient way, and I want to go that route in the end. However, as of now, family still has their objections, which I am sure will be worked out in due time. But till that time I will need to find another solution.
Most important to me initially is to at least be able to stay and live in Delhi when I get there. I have some savings to survive for a while, but of course I would not like to stay without occupation for a long time.