An entrepreneur aspires for business ideas with low investments that are capable of churning massive revenue. He or she searches for every possible way to have the business run smoothly and increase revenue, i.e., profitability is the end goal.
The young and dynamic individuals of today want to start their own venture rather than work for someone else. They look for small-scale opportunities with a huge turnover. ‘Return on Investment’ or ROI has become a predominant factor in setting up any kind of business. It’s a weighing scale that ultimately decides whether to go ahead or not.
A common misconception is that earning huge profits requires serious investment in the form of money, labour, equipment, etc. It's definitely not the case if one is aware of the plethora of business ideas that can be started with minimum investment.
Discussed below are some of the most profitable small investment businesses in India. They are not heavy on your pocket and can yield great returns with time.
1. Wedding Planner
2. Technical Freelancer
3. Gym or Fitness Center
4. Yoga and Meditation Center
5. Mechanical / Electrical Works
6. ECommerce Websites
7. Blogging
8. Online Surveys and Captcha Solving
9. Domain Trading
10. Selling Photos
11. E-book Publishing
12. Podcasts
13. Stock Trading
14. Influencer
15. Mobile Food Service
16. Recruitment Services
17. Event Organizer
18. Social Media Services
19. Interior Designer
20. Grocery Store
21. Coaching Class
22. Mobile Shop
23. Translation Services
24. Mobile / Computer Repairing
25. Driving School
26. Car Parking
27. Public Speaking Lessons
28. Dance Classes
29. Baby Sitter
30. Courier Company
31. Consultancy
32. Digital Marketing Consultancy
33. Dietary Consultancy
34. Packers and Movers
35. Ice Cream Parlour
36. Content Writing and Copy Writing
37. Freelancer
38. Book Store
39. Computer Trainer
40. Online Store
41. Travel Agency
42. Security & Spy Agency
43. Data Entry
44. Resume Writer
45. DJ Services
46. Music Classes
47. Laundry
48. Web Designing
49. Affiliate Marketing
50. Xerox Book Binding
51. Real Estate Agent
52. YouTube Channel
53. Cooking Classes
54. Business Broker
55. Fast Food Restaurant
56. Pharmacy
57. Beauty Parlour / Fashion Boutique
58. Gardening Business
59. Clean and Green Services
60. Jewelry Designing
61. Bouquet and Greeting Card Making
62. Accounting and Tax Preparation
63. Tatto Studio
64. Insurance Agent
65. Pet Caretaker
66. Dropshipping
67. Bakery
68. Hand-made Chocolates
69. Honey Manufacturer
70. Food/Tiffin Service
71. Children Play/Adventure Area
72. Baby Crèche
73. Custom Gift Store
74. Antique Shop
75. Organic Farming
76. MLM Network Marketing
77. Marriage Bureau/Matchmaking
78. Organic Candle/Soap Making
79. Career Counselling
80. Aquarium Store
81. Photo Studio
82. Professional Reviewer
83. Low-Cost Franchise
84. Mystery Shopper/Customer Survey
85. Stockbroker/Mutual Funds Agent
86. Virtual Assistant Service
87. Tourist Guide
1. Wedding Planner
Investment required: INR 20,000 to INR 50,000
Weddings constitute a big industry in India. The "big fat Indian wedding" never goes out. To become a wedding planner, you need to have amazing networking skills, creativity, and spontaneous decision making ability. Initial projects may not pay you much but with time, you will grow by leaps and bounds.
2. Technical Freelancer
Investment required: INR 0
If you have logical thinking, analytical skills, and the knowledge of any programming language you can try out technical freelancing. For example, if you know how to create and beautify websites, promote your website development services on platforms like Fiverr and Freelancer.
What kind of investment will you need? Perhaps paying for online courses and certifications to improve your credibility and knowledge. And with a plethora of resources available for free on the internet, you can get started with technical freelancing through zero investment.
3. Gym or Fitness Center
Investment required: INR 5 lakh to INR 10 lakh
We live in a world where we often forget to take care of our bodies resulting in worse physical conditions. To avoid such conditions we prefer going to gyms or fitness centers. Starting a gym with a minimum number of necessary equipment in a good place will definitely turn out to be a profitable business idea.
4. Yoga and Meditation Center
Investment required: INR 5 lakh to INR 30 lakhs
With that busy schedule, hectic life, and a lot of work stress nobody can live a healthy life. Your Yoga and meditation center will help people to fight with all these never-ending problems. Apart from that, it also a very profitable business idea. The investment will just be a good place and some workers (optional). You can also hire a trainer if you don’t have a knowledge of Yoga and meditation.
5. Mechanical / Electrical Works
Investment required: INR 15 lakh to INR 50 lakhs
The development of present generation technologies requires many mechanical and electrical goods. Therefore, the establishment of a garage for servicing of vehicles or sale of any electrical goods finds profit in present times. Although, the business involves some amount of investment yet the profit accrued is always higher.
6. ECommerce Websites
Investment required: INR 1 lakh to INR 10 lakhs
Online shopping is the new era trend. It is the easiest way of shopping and getting the best product from thousands of options. All you need is a website and the products you want to sell, it can be anything like jewelry, shoes, or even the everyday household items.
7. Blogging
Investment required: INR 10,000 to INR 15,000
Blogging is one of the best business ideas with low investment that can give you a high profit. Your investment is only in the form of the ability in writing a blog, an Internet connection, and a laptop or PC. It’s very simple but it can deliver high profits.
If the blog you create ranks first on Google, then the blogger can be paid by Google. This is really beneficial and easy to start. Moreover, blogging is being done by many people and they are earning filthy money without any investment too.
8. Online Surveys and Captcha Solving
Investment required: NA
An earning mechanism not at all painstaking, completing surveys, and solving captchas can generate revenue while staying at home. The skills required basic English knowledge, knowledge about numbers, and the internet. The earnings may seem small, but when accrued, the time and efforts show the results. It’s important to know that scammers are widespread in this domain.
So, do careful research before signing up for some survey company to avoid indulging in the illegitimate ones. Also, if the company is asking for registration fees then that's your cue to know it's a fraud site. You can also Google "scam" after mentioning the website name and you will get all the information needed.
9. Domain Trading
Investment required: NA
Did you know that selling of .com and other web domains is a lucrative field? But expertise and initial investment are required before stepping into the shoes of a domain trader. The job revolves around identifying domains that hold potential, waiting for the right opportunity, and then selling it to interested parties, usually companies and organizations. Here you have to be creative and also have to research a lot.
You need to search for the brands which you think are going to be popular after one or two years, then buy a domain name by the name of the brand. When the brand becomes famous, they have to buy the domain name from you at a price you decide, and that's how you will make money.
You can purchase domain names from GoDaddy, Namecheap, or any other website.
10. Selling Photos
Investment required: INR 10,000 to INR 50,000
Coming across pictures with bookmarks such as Photobucket and ShutterStock hold significance for a reason—high-quality images can be sold online for a great price.
You have to submit photos to such sites and when people purchase the same from these platforms, you will get paid as per the price set. You can start this business without any major investment.
If the camera quality of your smartphone is good then you are all set to go. But you have to make sure that you are uploading high-quality pictures. Otherwise, you will not be able to make money by selling photos online as those pictures will be used on a website and other online platforms.
11. E-book Publishing
Investment required: INR 10,000 to INR 50,000
E-books and PDFs can generate cash if they have the substance and ingenuity to stand out. Amateur and experienced authors can use online publishing not only to showcase their talent but also to earn money through sales.
If you are an amateur then you can use Kindle direct publishing to start your fiction and can promote it online. Many authors are making a lot of money simply by selling their books online. You can publish your e-books without any investment.
12. Podcasts
Investment required: INR 50,000 to INR 1 lakh
Audio and video sessions constitute podcasting, though it’s generally audio files that make up the majority. Podcasts are digital files that subscribed users can download or listen to online.
You can start your Podcasts just by using your smartphone and earphones. But before starting your Podcast channel make sure that you have something that can give value to the people.
You can earn money by including advertisements either in the beginning, middle, or end of the session. Audiobooks are another form of Podcasts. People like to listen to audiobooks more than reading a book. You can create your website where you can sell your audiobooks that way you can earn a huge amount of money both from the website traffic and also by selling the audiobooks.
Vidhi Punamiya
13. Stock Trading
Investment required: INR 1000
Stock Trading is a great option to earn a huge amount of money. You can start Stock Trading with low investment and make that money work for you. But before you starting Stock Trading, gather knowledge about the share market as much as possible. Then only you will be able to make money by trading stocks.
This is a high risk, high gamble field and requires experience, acumen, and luck. There are millions of success stories as well as disheartening ones. Go for trading only when you can bear the brunt of falling on your face. This also requires some skills to earn a good amount of income.
14. Influencer
Investment required: INR 0
If you have a massive number of followers on social media and they are dedicated to your posts, then you can start promoting products from the various companies and can get paid for the promotions.
If you can generate more sales to the company, there are chances that you can turn out as their brand ambassador. People are getting heavily paid for it. Also, if you are a good model cum influencer, you can catch the eye of modeling companies and get a kick start to your career.
15. Mobile Food Service
Investment required: INR 5 lakh to INR 10 lakhs
Either you contact some restaurant or cook yourself. All you need is a delivery boy or more (depends on the demand) and vehicles. Give the service on time and most importantly serve tasty food.
16. Recruitment Services
Investment required: INR 5 lakh to INR 10 lakhs
You can start your own firm for providing recruitment services to other companies. Contact companies and find people who need jobs. You will just have to connect them both.
17. Event Organizer
Investment required: INR 50,000 to INR 5 lakhs
Starting a small company which organizes events could be a good idea but this may need special ability and workers for the same. The most important skills for this business are your personality and event management skills.
Just like wedding planning, it requires a large amount of hard work to acquire the first clients in an event management business and the scale is dependent on the value that is added to the initial set of clients, as word-of-mouth is a huge source of publicity in both the businesses. However, event management can grow faster as it caters to a larger audience, whereas wedding planning deals with a niche vertical. From birthday parties to client meetings in corporate companies are all handled by professional event managers.
In fact, many event planners start their business working from home. This can be a great model for setting up an event planning business as it keeps overhead costs down in those critical early stages of business and can maximize productivity.
18. Social Media Services
Investment required: NA
Social media services business includes services like Ghost-writing for businesses, posting on blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts & Facebook pages. Overall you need to take care of a brand's social media presence and get them traffic and customers through social media.
19. Interior Designer
Investment required: INR 50,000 to INR 5 lakhs
There is a significant amount of people belonging to the creamy layer of wealth in our country. And they are willing to spend heavily on the expensive mansions, full facilities, and the luxury to express their level. And hence the furniture is one of the most valued products as an interior.
The amount spent on these luxury interiors is high and therefore the level of expectation is also high. The style, design, and quality of the interior elements which make up the value of the product are the factors that every decoration storekeeper should prioritize the focus on.
Interior designer business could be the best deal with low investment but this may need special skills. This kind of business is very suitable for someone familiar with and passionate about interior design. An interior designer has a creative side for art and aesthetics and gets paid for providing the same to its clients. Therefore it must be of good taste and match that of the potential customer.
If you deal with the unique, fancy, and stylish furniture and can target the right people then the profit margins in this business is very high. You can also do only designing work from home.
20. Grocery Store
Investment required: INR 10 lakhs - INR 20 lakhs
Grocery is the most needful business for the selling of different goods that humans need daily. This is a profitable and no loss business, as grocery is the daily basic need for all humans. Just invest a small amount of capital to buy some inventory from a seller and sell it in the market. You can purchase every product sold. You can start from a small grocery shop and gradually expand as per need.
21. Coaching Class
Investment required: INR 10 lakhs - INR 50 lakhs
The business of education will never stop. Nowadays due to fierce competition, students preparing for the competitive exams need some guidance for the preparation so they join coaching centers. These coaching centers are evergreen low investment businesses with higher profits which help in spreading knowledge and train students to become adept in clearing competitive examinations.
However, you just have to make sure you have an in-depth knowledge of the subject and explain the topic well to the students. Not only you need to teach Maths or science, if you are a professional in sports you can start acting as a professional sports coach. Looking at its popularity, coaching is one of the best low investment businesses in India.
22. Mobile Shop
Investment required: INR 1 lakh - INR 5 lakh
Starting a small mobile shop is a profitable business idea. With an increasing number of mobile phone users, a well-stocked mobile store in a good locality has a high probability of turning profitable.
23. Translation Services
Investment required: NA
You need specialization in one or two languages you speak fluently or to hire other translators who know multiple languages, for this business.
24. Mobile / Computer Repairing
Investment required: INR 1 lakh - INR 5 lakh
Technology is an inevitable component in today’s time. It is now a necessity and not a luxury. Learning how to repair devices such as laptops and computers is a one-time investment. Take the necessary diploma/education and get your hands dirty.
Every vendor selling mobiles and PCs has a small space in the corner of his store that is for the repair guy. No, you’re not being asked to go and sit there but you can do the same and start this business at home with a small investment.
25. Driving School
Investment required: INR 10 lakhs - INR 15 lakhs
To start a driving business, you need some cars and a good team of drivers who can teach driving. Or you can just contact your friends, neighbours, etc. if they want to learn to drive. Some people even bring their own car and ask people to teach them to drive. Thus driving school makes for a great high-profit business. You can start your own driving school business today with low capital and earn high profits.
26. Car Parking
Investment required: INR 50 lakhs - INR 90 lakhs
Having a huge space for providing safe and secure car parking will be the best deal. Investments required will be in hiring security guards, installing security cameras, and organizing the parking area properly.
27. Public Speaking Lessons
Investment required: INR 0
Stage fright is a fear that strikes a chord with every individual. Some are born with the inherent ability to converse with confidence but some of us are devoid of this skill in childhood. If you’ve got the knack of speaking in front of a large audience with clarity and elegance that makes people jealous, then this attribute of yours can help rake in some moolah while improving the lives of others.
28. Dance Classes
Investment required: INR 10 lakhs to 25 lakhs
If you are very good at dance, then you can think of starting a dance academy which is a very good business idea with a minimum budget. Many parents look for a good dance class for their children. Related to the earlier business, music, and dance classes are immensely popular. There is no dearth of the genre to choose from. All you need is a room in case of dance lessons. Businesses of these kinds gain traction as time passes. So, perseverance is of utmost importance.
29. Baby Sitter
Investment required: INR 30,000
If you start a business of baby keeping in the metro city you will surely see success very soon. Most of the people in the metro cities of India are very busy. So, people will definitely buy your services.
30. Courier Company
Investment required: INR 50,000 to INR 5 lakhs
Many people today look for better shipping costs and timely delivery. If you think you can run and manage a courier company then this business is for you.
31. Consultancy
Investment required: INR 5 lakhs to INR 10 lakhs
The consultancy firm includes agents who help people in getting things done. A consultancy works to reduce people’s workload and involves zero investment with higher profits. The best example of consultancy service is TATA in India.
Legal, financial to technical the plethora of fields means it’s best to generalize this broad category for this category of business. Experience and success in your niche dictate the profitability you’re going to enjoy.
32. Digital Marketing Consultancy
Investment required: INR 5 lakhs to INR 20 lakhs
With more and more people coming online for the first time who wants to rank number on Google, Digital marketing consultancy is an all-time high. With a good knowledge of Search Engine Optimization or social media, you can easily set up a digital marketing consultancy firm and help the business grow in the minimum time required.
33. Dietary Consultancy
Investment required: NA
With more and more people trying to fit and smart than ever in India, dietary consulting has become a very important service. If you can learn food dietary and nutrition you can make good money with low investment.
Piyush Mishra
34. Packers and Movers
Investment required: INR 10 lakhs to INR 50 lakhs
It is a low investment high profit business idea with the largest amount of clients coming from central government services and public limited companies. If scaled, you can convert your small business into a big logistics company.
35. Ice Cream Parlour
Investment required: INR 50 lakhs
Starting an ice cream parlour is another good business idea, to begin with.
36. Content Writing and Copy Writing
Investment required: INR 0
Websites ought to have content to obtain the much-needed traffic (yeah, there are exceptions). Anyone with a flair for writing great content can generate a secondary source of income by delivering articles, columns, and whatnot for websites.
The magnitude of clients and amount earned per write-up may be less initially but once the flow sets in, the sky is the limit. Sound knowledge of the language and its intricacies is the primary requirement. And this has to be complemented with innovation and inventiveness.
Also, you can apply for content writing jobs from various job application sites and can work for the companies. Internshala provides a lot of such jobs of content writing, that too work from home.
With the increasing number of websites, the need for content writers is also increasing day by day. In India, the pay of a content writer is too low but if you think that the quality of your content is best. You can start content writing for international companies and can make a career as a content writer.
37. Freelancer
Investment required: INR 0
When you have a skill, why let it go waste! Can you create amazing websites? Teach your native language like a pro? Write catchy and interesting articles? If you have any kind of talent, start freelancing to earn money online without any investment.
Freelancing refers to an individual who is self-employed and working solely based on the fees given. If you are a freelancer, then you don't have to be particularly associated with an individual company and you can work with various companies, allowing yourself to get more exposure.
Websites such as Upwork, Fiverr, LinkedIn are where this talent can earn some being. If you are not interested in such websites, you can create your own website or can create your social media profile to promote your freelancing skills to attract customers.
The biggest obstacle has to be presenting testament to one’s knowledge because the platforms ask for concrete evidence to demonstrate one’s proficiency in the niche field chosen for freelancing. You have to build a portfolio before you start your freelancing journey. Now the competition is too tough but if you have a strong portfolio you can win the race.
Piyush Mishra
38. Book Store
Investment required: INR 5 lakhs to INR 20 lakhs
Book lovers always buy multiple books, thus, making the idea of a starting bookstore attractive.
39. Computer Trainer
Investment required: INR 5 lakhs to INR 10 lakhs
If you are good at providing computer training this could be a good business idea to educate about the computer operation which is must in today’s world.
40. Online Store
Investment required: INR 10 lakhs to INR 30 lakhs
Many people prefer to shop in online stores. This is because they do not have to bother to come to the store to buy something. Simply by using their mobile, they can buy the products they want and the product will reach their home immediately.
It can become an opportunity for you to do business in the field of the online store. You do not need to invest by buying products, just by selling other people's products. Thus, you can earn high profits.
Sweta
41. Travel Agency
Investment required: INR 10 lakhs to INR 30 lakhs
The travel agency is a link between the traveler or tourist and the principal suppliers such as tour packages, hotels, airlines, etc. The tourism industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in our country. The tourist attraction points bring more and more people exploring these places while taking vacations and travelling.
With the spin of globalization across the world, it is easier to travel around countries now. It is more accessible and requires less time to roam any country – and the same is the case with India. It is a great time to start a travel agency since there is such a huge client base to cater to.
42. Security & Spy Agency
Investment required: NA
With growing security needs you can start your own security agency another good option is to work as a spy.
43. Data Entry
Investment required: NA
Many companies today earn money by doing data entry work, so you may start providing services like this.
44. Resume Writer
Investment required: INR 0
If you are good at designing a resume and have a deep knowledge of the subject you can become a resume writer.
45. DJ Services
Investment required: INR 1 lakhs to INR 1.5 lakhs
Disk jockey service is a part-time innovative business idea. People look for DJs on multiple occasions. If you are very good at music you can rock this business
46. Music Classes
Investment required: INR 1 lakhs to INR 1.5 lakhs
Business in the field of music is a very profitable business. You can earn a lot of profit from this business. All you need to capitalize on is expertise in music and having a musical instrument such as piano or guitar.
If you do not have a building to open music classes, you can open this class in your home. You can take advantage of the empty garage to make a music class so that your students can comfortably learn.
47. Laundry
Investment required: INR 5 lakhs to INR 10 lakhs
Laundry is one business that can be started with small capital, that is easy to handle and quickly get into the public market. Many people seek these services for their daily lives. The laundry business is a business that is suitable for you because you have enough to capitalise on the washing machine and detergent alone.
There is already a lot of laundry business that has been successful. Do you want to follow their success? If yes then start with this low investment business idea which could return a high profit.
Devashish Shrivastava
48. Web Designing
Investment required: INR 0
Web designing is a good business to start with low investment. Web designing services are needed now. You just have investments in the form of a laptop or PC and Internet networks. A job as a web designer only includes web designing and content. You can do this job easier when you are equipped with the knowledge, expertise, and experience in this arena.
You can also work at home as a freelance web designer. Because the business of web designing is needed by the people, so many people are looking for it and pay dearly to those who provide these services. This business doesn't involve any investment. Although your skills in web development decide your pay scale for projects you undertake.
49. Affiliate Marketing
Investment required: INR 0
One business that is most preferred by people today is affiliate marketing. No need for high investment, you can sell other people’s products. Promoting a merchant’s product or services through some link provided (aka affiliate link) is the core of this kind of marketing. The interested individual signs a deal with a merchant like Clickbank, CJ, Flipkart, Amazon, etc. through its affiliate program, and receives a link in return.
The candidate promotes the link on social media and other platforms, and whenever a user clicks on the link, he/she is directed to the merchant’s portal. Any purchase done on the portal through this link is considered a sale done by the affiliate marketer (in this case, you), and the merchant tracks all the sales done by the affiliate marketer.
The number of sales and the transaction amount involved determine the commission. You can start affiliate marketing without any investment. But affiliate marketing needs a strong virtual presence to garner the needed attention and awareness. If you have a small audience and if the audience trusts you then you can sell them anything you want.
50. Xerox Book Binding
Investment required: INR 1 lakh to INR 3 lakhs
Many college and school areas in India, don’t have this facility and this could be a potential business in that area.
51. Real Estate Agent
Investment required: INR 0
The cost of land keeps increasing every day and people are unable to find one that satisfies their needs. This is where real estate agents can pitch in as helpers to search for the best deals.
Being a real estate agent or broker is extremely beneficial. You can put up tariffs to find a potential buyer or looking for real estate required by prospective. It takes just communication tools and proficiency in speaking to please customers and make money.
Gorish Dua
52. YouTube Channel
Investment required: INR 0
Everyone knows about YouTube. Many famous personalities got their fame just because of YouTube. All you need to do is start a YouTube channel, create your videos, and publish them. The more often you upload the more viewers you get and the more you earn from online advertisements.
Make-up tutorials, fashion tips, and tricks, educational content, enticing videos, comedy vlogs, inspirational videos, etc. dominate the scene of YouTube. However, for YouTube popularity, you should have patience and cleverness along with the talent. Then, maybe you can be the next name on the list of famous YouTubers.
53. Cooking Classes
Investment required: INR 0
Whether you are a housewife or a cooking maniac, you can easily start it in your own kitchen with all your favourite recipes. Investing a lot is not necessary. Just start your cooking class, get the groceries, advertise a bit, and start earning.
54. Business Broker
Investment required: INR 0
This is the term where there is no initial investment. Just like Quikr and eBay do get the people who want to sell their used products and connect them to those who want to buy those used products. Get the commission when the deal is exchanged.
55. Fast Food Restaurant
Investment required: INR 10 lakhs to INR 50 lakhs
The food service industry in India was projected to grow at over 15% of CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) between 2014 and 2020 according to the India Food Report released in January 2016.
Offering food and beverages by starting up a restaurant is probably the best business idea that is sure to create maximum value and profits, however, it is also very competitive. There are many cases of failed restaurants or fast-food joint.
You need to select the right location, it should be preferred to be situated in a crowd-friendly area where a constant flow of customers is present. You also need to consider what type of customers you want to attract – the niche. And depending upon that you should alter your style of serving food, offering services, and build up the interior thereafter.
Quality too plays an important role in the restaurant business. In today's busy world where working people, students eat most of the time out looking for quality food. You need to maintain the quality of the food. Online food delivery is also very trending and feasible nowadays.
Grab a place, get a cook (or cook yourself), get a name, cook delicious food, and start earning. This is the only business where you start earning from the very first day and if customers like your food you can easily be a successful business owner.
56. Pharmacy
Investment required: INR 15 lakhs to INR 20 lakhs
India is known for providing low-cost generic drugs to foreign countries, which has grown and matured more with the rising development of technology and product research. India is now gaining one of the top spots in health tourism, as people from Western countries find the best health services matching international standards at more affordable rates.
Today India is the largest exporter of generic drugs in the world, and it is also the fastest growing and very competitive. India also has patents for pharmaceutical inventions that are in huge demand. And it can be a very profitable and lucrative business in India. The amount of doctors our country generates is very high and keeps on increasing day by day.
Earlier the doctor’s clinic and pharmacy used to be at distance from them, nowadays they have started attaching both and it is turning out to be very profitable for them.
Although there is a huge investment in the initial stage, the profit after some amount of time is also huge. The medical shop earns huge revenue because most patients visit the doctor in the clinic and purchase the medicines from the shop itself.
57. Beauty Parlour / Fashion Boutique
Investment required: INR 15 lakhs
People, especially women, are very conscious about their appearances. And the beauty industry caters to them. It includes beauty treatments of all sorts but much of the need is for basic hygiene. The beauty parlours do well if they are situated at the right place where the customer visits are often high and provide the services at an economical value. The fashion industry is thriving and is never out of business.
With new trends in Bollywood and around the globe - the brands of clothing, footwear, and accessories are always getting their inspiration from them and they are demanded by a huge base of customers. They sell at a very fast rate too. Opening up a boutique is therefore very opportunistic and can get you a lot of returns if operated efficiently. They both are therefore very profitable businesses to enter in, especially for aspiring women who want to contribute to the income of their households.
58. Gardening Business
Investment required: INR 2 lakhs
The gardening business involves growing plants and mainly these days herbs are becoming tremendously popular. From small shops to the largest warehouses, one can find medicinal herbs, herbal teas, baths, and candles. The herbs can be planted and raised and then further sold to wholesale or retail customers.
The major advantage of this business is that you just need mother mature which is really back to basic stuff, good for the body and the soul and it can be started from the comfort of one’s home as a pastime hobby.
It is good to start small, growing the herbs in a large backyard or renting inexpensive land. The profit margins would be small. One would need a solid working knowledge of growing and nurturing herbs to scale the business. For working on large areas of land, one would need to know the farming techniques in detail.
59. Clean and Green Services
Investment required: NA
Clean and green services add immense value to the people in families where everyone in the house is employed and doesn’t have time for basic housekeeping. Clean the house, water the plants, etc. So this type of business is catching up fast nowadays in metropolitan cities. This business is less capital intensive and has great margins in terms of profits.
You will have to start by setting up a team and managing them. Training them is a crucial task as you besides just teaching them the techniques, will have to give them moral lessons too. It will help to create a good image of the company. You will also require good communication skills to constantly manage your employees.
60. Jewelry Designing
Investment required: More than INR 50 lakhs
Many people enjoy wearing authentic, handmade jewelry. The beauty of handmade jewelry lies in the fact that each and every piece is unique and the person who wears it feel a unique sense of pride and grace by wearing it. Jewelry designing involves the following steps:
- Learn how to design jewelry.
- Purchase the tool kit required.
- Experiment with making various designs of jewelry at home.
- Reach out to different jewelers to show them your designs. Try to find the jeweler who knows you personally so that they don't steal your idea.
61. Bouquet and Greeting Card Making
Investment required: INR 10,000 to INR 50,000
No matter what the occasion might be, there is nothing that expresses our emotions better than a bouquet of flowers and a greeting card! There are different styles of bouquets to express our feelings. Whatever the feeling or the occasion, flowers play a prominent role.
Making different types of bouquets and designing cards for various occasions is an art. For people with the right talent and passion for this, this business is very simple and less capital intensive.
It also reaps great profit margins as it caters to a niche market segment. This business can be interlinked with the wedding planning business and both can be done simultaneously to bring out the best ROI.
62. Accounting and Tax Preparation
Investment required: NA
If you are good with numbers, accounting and tax preparation. Having sound knowledge regarding accounting, taxation, etc, you can handle financial records and tax-related issues of businesses and earn a good amount of profit with very less investment. You will need a computer and internet facilities and may need to hire a few people as you scale up.
Devashish Shrivastava
63. Tatto Studio
Investment required: INR 10,000 to INR 50,000
Getting tattoos done practically anywhere on the visible parts of the body is in trend now. Tattoos are not just imprints but for some people, they can be a way of expressing emotions and who they are. If you’re passionate about tattoos and want people to get them done, you can set up a tattoo studio with some basic requirements.
A good locality, tattoo equipment, hygienic atmosphere, and a lot of creativity. There! You have your own tattoo studio set up. You can easily save the cost of marketing by putting up your designs and customer reviews on social media platforms.
64. Insurance Agent
Investment required: NA
In the wake of pandemics, having a medical policy or health insurance has become vital. Insurances are short plans for the future and every individual is bound to have one. Pretty much everything can be insured in today’s times. The insurance umbrella accommodates everything from health, vehicle, shop, renters insurance, and much more.
You can pick your segment of insurance and start your business journey by getting licensed as an insurance agent. You can tie yourself up with an insurance company or apply for a sole proprietorship. Typically, for a sole proprietor, commissions for every policy written can be charged between 12-15% and renewal at 5% to 10%
Devashish Shrivastava
65. Pet Caretaker
Investment required: INR 0
This one is probably the best idea to start making quick bucks. Love dogs? Or cats? You just landed an opportunity to cash on it. There are so many busy pet owners who are guilty of leaving their pets at home for long hours while they are away for work or on vacations. Pets can suffer from separation anxiety and can get depressed if not taken care of.
If you really love animals, you can opt for taking care of them while their parents are away. You could start small by providing food, taking them on walks, bathing them, etc., and later open up a hostel where you accommodate pets in larger numbers.
66. Dropshipping
Investment required: INR 50,000 to INR 1 lakh
Dropshipping has become a “go-to” option for many individuals who are planning on starting a small business on their own. Dropshipping is a business model where there are three parties, and you, the drop shipper acts as the third party. You have to find a reliable vendor or supplier preferably a local supplier who also manages inventory and has storage facilities.
The commission or profit margin has to be decided amongst yourselves with a mutual understanding. The drop shipper then markets the product on several platforms and brings orders to the supplier. The supplier handles the rest (packing, logistics, and delivery). Dropshipping is possible from giant e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart too.
67. Bakery
Investment required: INR 15 lakhs
There is always a hyper-local bakery in every locality that takes up the responsibility of providing bread and baked items. Bakeries have become a part of essentials since they provide the most basic ingredients for a basic meal. Also, if you have a knack for baking and you can pull a cake out of the oven without burning it, maybe you could do this for a living. Cakes are a must, be it on any occasion.
People will always find reasons to have cakes. Well, bakeries don’t just serve cakes but other items like bread, biscuits, and baked items too. Having a variety of healthy freshly baked loaves of bread is a sight for sore eyes. Bakery set-up needs an initial investment for a good place, or ovens, and raw material.
68. Hand-made Chocolates
Investment required: INR 50, 000
Anything handmade gives a personal touch to it, be it gifts or something you can never go wrong with, Chocolates. Handmade chocolates need proficiency and craft to make them sellable. Chocolates have innumerable combinations that can be experimented with in various permutations. You can start with applying your creativity with handmade chocolates as gifts, return gifts at birthday parties, for anniversaries, etc.
69. Honey Manufacturer
Investment required: INR 50, 000 to INR 5 lakhs
Honey is a common item in 80% of Indian households. Its medicinal properties have proven to be beneficial for curing acid reflux, cold, and cough, and as a healthy alternative to sugar.
Considering the amount of its usage in food and medicine, honey is one of the most sought-after ingredients in Indian households. Therefore, beekeeping can be a profitable business when planned well. What’s more, the government of India supports beekeeping businesses by providing loans and subsidies.
To start with your own beekeeping business, you will have to obtain the following:
- Firm registration
- Trade license
- FSSAI license
- GST registration
- Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Certificate
Other than the ones mentioned above, beekeeping will require the following tools
- Bee Colony
- Protective Gear (suits, glares, veils)
- Machinery (honey extractor, uncapping knife, beekeeper suit)
The honey manufacturing business can turn into a fortune if executed well. There is a higher scope for the business as India is one of the main exporters of honey.
70. Food/Tiffin Service
Investment required: INR 50, 000
In a fast-paced world, as is ours, people rarely have the time and patience to cook their own meals. Eating out and take-outs are fun until you can’t eat junk food anymore. That’s where tiffin services save your day. Tiffin services are the ones where you are supplied with regular homemade food on a monthly basis.
This business is great to start off with especially if you’re living nearby a corporate area or college or hostel. You can cook basic meals like roti, sabzi, dal, rice and some salad. You can start with supplying tiffins in your neighborhood and slowly market it through social media and word of mouth.
71. Children Play/Adventure Area
Investment required: INR 5 lakhs to 10 lakhs
Play/adventure areas are enjoyed by both kids and adults. Play areas and parks are always full as they are fun and stress-busting. To start off with a kid’s play area you could hire a small place and paint it with your creative imagination. Throw in some slides, swings, see-saws, puzzles, and comic books. You could set up Galli cricket and mini football areas.
This business could go as high as you take it as there is no limit to adventure. You could also rent some of the games and books and keep your customers coming back for more.
72. Baby Crèche
Investment required: INR 1 lakh to INR 5 lakhs
A lot of women working in corporate offices are on a crèche hunt for their babies. Some offices have taken the initiative to set up cheches in the office premises itself. But that is not the case with most companies.
New moms always find it hard to juggle work and motherhood. If you are someone who enjoys taking care of babies, you could start a baby crèche with a bunch of other women helping you. All you need is a good airy floor, cradles, diapers, and baby food.
73. Custom Gift Store
Investment required: INR 5 lakhs to INR 10 lakhs
There are numerous stores featuring custom gifts for several occasions by various small artists. If you have a rental shop ready, you could feature custom-made gifts made by you or someone else in your shop. Custom gifts include handmade cards, embroidered items, pictorial gifts, etc. as you scale up you could hire people and have consumers customize their stuff.
74. Antique Shop
Investment required: INR 3 lakhs to INR 5 lakhs
All the urban and sub-urban homeowners are always looking for something unique to make their house feel like home. Antiques are priceless as they come from a place in history. This is one of the best low investment business ideas as India can never run out of antiques because it has a super-rich culture and heritage.
You can start off by vising touristy places and collecting antiques and reselling in your circle. As your business picks up you could import or even export stuff to international buyers.
75. Organic Farming
Investment required: INR 5 lakhs
Most of the urban crowd is altering their eating habits and choosing an organic diet. Organic foods are pesticide-free, rich in nutrients and anti-oxidants, and hence are much preferred. If you have agricultural land that is spared or has enough space around you can start organic farming.
A lot of technical experts provide farming knowledge for free or you could hire an expert to farm your land. Organic foods are seeing exponential growth and bound to have huge demand in the near future.
76. MLM Network Marketing
Investment required: INR 1 lakh
Multilevel Marketing has been around in India for quite some time now. It is a business model that works on networking. You pick a company of your choice and invest an initial amount to get started.
You market the product and network with other people and make them join you under your name. The person under you follows the same procedure. This forms a chain and every member is benefitted from the commission earned on the sales made by themselves and the members under them. Examples of MLM marketing are Amway, Oriflamme, Modicare, etc.
77. Marriage Bureau/Matchmaking
Investment required: INR 5 lakhs to INR 10 lakhs
Marriage bureaus are full-time, never running out of customers kind of business. Indian moms will always find one of these. Although apps like Tinder have the youth indulging in casual dating, matrimonial sites like Shadi.com are spread pan India matching people with their soul mates. If you think you have the sixth sense that’s required for a task like this, matchmaking is something you could monetize from.
Now, heads-up, this won’t be a money-making machine from the beginning as families coming to a marriage bureau are very specific with their preferences. There will be groundwork and meeting a lot of people. But once you get the taste of it, this business is truly exponential.
78. Organic Candle/Soap Making
Investment required: INR 5 lakhs
A decade ago, I thought soaps were only manufactured in factories. Not the case though. Turns out a YouTube video can guide you to make heavenly smelling candles and soaps by investing some cost and pouring in a lot of your creativity.
It takes basic knowledge of soap and candle making and the rest is all colours, fragrances, shapes, and glitter. You could charge a premium amount for these products as they are handmade, mostly, and are organic, and can be diversified into many different products.
79. Career Counselling
Investment required: INR 5 lakhs
Now this one might require a legit degree and a lot of expertise. Career counselling is one of the most groundbreaking businesses in the educational sector today. Career counselling helps individuals choose their careers based on their interests, abilities, and acquired or natural skills.
By the end of 2030, India’s population below 25 years of age would be 80 crores. Career guidance requisites would surge by a huge margin and this is the right time to start your business with it.
Pooja Uniyal
80. Aquarium Store
Investment required: INR 5 lakhs to 10 lakhs
Aquarium stores provide you with fish tanks and fish of all kinds. To start off with an aquarium store, you need to invest in buying pairs of fish, fish tanks, oxygen setups, etc. Aquarium stores these days often customize the setting in a fish tank based on the size and requirement of the buyer. You can also offer fish food and tank-related equipment.
81. Photo Studio
Investment required: INR 5 lakhs to 10 lakhs
If you’re good at photography, there is a wide range of fields in photography where you could apply your skills. They include pre-wedding shoots, wedding shoots, maternity shoots, commercial shoots for ad campaigns, or portraits. Chose your niche, grab a decent camera and get on with it.
82. Professional Reviewer
Investment required: INR 0
Many companies often look for their products to be tested and require valuable feedback. These companies pick individuals and send a free product for review. You can become a professional reviewer if you can get companies to pick you up. You need an active blog or YouTube channel for posting these reviews as they happen to reach a huge demographic. Make sure you have the required knowledge and expertise to talk about the product.
83. Investing in Low-Cost Franchises
Investment required: INR 10 lakhs to INR 50 lakhs
Franchises are a strategy of conglomerates to expand their business across cities and states. Companies offer to set up costs and decent margins behind the stock to be sold. Start with researching a product or service that is doing well in the market and has a scope to grow in the future. Invest in the inception of the franchise and work towards marketing the product or service and watch the business grow.
Pratyusha Srivastava
84. Mystery Shopper/Customer Survey
Investment required: NA
A mystery shopper is someone who reviews products or services by discreetly visiting shops, evaluating the staff, testing products, possibly making a purchase, and filling a survey or feedback form. All you need to do is be 18 years old, have access to the internet, good command of the local or English language, and a smartphone. Surveys too are great for a busy or flexible schedule.
85. Stockbroker/Mutual Funds Agent
Investment required: INR 5 lakhs to INR 15 lakhs
Mutual funds are subject to market risks. But they’re a great way of investing for the long term, short term, or any specific goals. Salaried and business entrepreneurs are into mutual funds and share markets with the hype around on social media. But most of them lack experience and knowledge.
If you are someone with great knowledge about stocks, you could get certified with a legit course and start your own stockbroking firm.
How this works, is when customers want to invest in a share or mutual fund, they come to you to use your expertise and invest their money in their respective options. You can charge them a commission for handling their accounts, and profits earned in the case of the stock market and premiums in the case of mutual fund plans.
86. Virtual Assistant Service
Investment required: NA
Virtual assistance service is a remote job where an individual works on a contract basis with a company providing assistance on everyday tasks. This is a remote job and can be done from a home office or remotely.
It typically involves being skilled in social media management, administration, or someone who can schedule, make appointments, calls, or travel arrangements. It has an array of options that you can explore or upgrade your skillset to get placed with elite companies.
87. Tourist Guide
Investment required: INR 10,000
If you’re living in a place boarded regularly by tourists, you could use this opportunity to show people around. But first, a guide must be a tourist. He/she should have the urge to travel and explore different places. You need to become the explorer yourself.
Find out tourist spots, shopping places, food options, and the touristy places people would love to explore and visit. If travelling comes naturally to you, this might be your gig. You could blog and vlog your experiences on YouTube and other platforms.
Conclusion
This was the complete list of most profitable businesses in India with low investment. We hope the above list will help you to make an informed decision. We will definitely update this list as we get more industry information.
Well, you can always join our Facebook group which is one of the largest startup communities.
FAQs
Which business is most profitable in India with low investment?
Some of most profitable business ideas in India with low investment are
- Writing services
- Gardening services
- Website designing and development services
- Driving services
- Marketing services
- Tuition or Coacing services
- Blogging
- Youtubing
- Food/Catering services
- Fitness centers
- Boutique
- Photo/video services
- Makeup services
What are the best long term business ideas?
Some of the best long term business ideas or long term business goals/strategies would include:
- Making a foolproof marketing plan
- Building network
- Increasing sales
- Staying alert of the competitors
- Enhancing brand recognition
- Boosting credibility
- Gathering social media followers
- Expanding to other cities and exploring new opportunities outside the country's borders
- Launching new products and services
What are some easiest and most profitable small home-based business ideas?
Here are some tried and tested profitable business ideas that will work:
- Software development
- Website designing and development
- Graphics designing
- Ecommerce startup
- Handicrafts
- Blogging
- Cooking
- chocolate making
- Baking
- Gift wrapping
- Music
- Gardening
- Youtuber
What are some effective home-based business ideas for moms in India?
If you are a mom, and most of the time you remain home, then you are not alone, an overwhelming majority of Indian moms are housewives. However, being a housewife might certainly be boring sometimes for many mothers. So, here are some effective home-based business ideas for moms in India that you can try your hand at:
- Freelance writing
- Preparing Hand-made products
- Gardening
- Virtual Assistance
- Marketing online
- Blogging
- Cooking
- Baking
- Food delivery
- Event planning
