written by Khatabook | September 9, 2021

Successful Small Business Ideas for Indian Entrepreneurs

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Table of Content


In the present decade, many individuals are setting up their own businesses and are becoming successful entrepreneurs. However, to start a business, having an understanding of start up ideas in India is essential. You may think entrepreneur business ideas are hard to come by, and those small scale business ideas have large investments! But that is a common misunderstanding. That’s why this compiled list is quite helpful to dispel those wrong notions. Though capital investment is required for every business idea, we have grouped the entrepreneurial ideas into convenient groups. There’s a little something to spark the entrepreneur in you while also being easy to start and not being too capital-intensive. Take a look.

Startup business ideas in India for beginners:

Entrepreneurs in India have been thriving in the present decade. The young minds and hard workers in India who prefer to venture out into business and earn big can fully use the government’s initiatives and schemes. Since 2014, when the startup revolution hit India, the government’s innovative Stand-Up India and Startup India Schemes have birthed thousands of self-reliant startups under the business ideas India- Small investment 2014 schemes.

Indeed, the punishing work schedules from daybreak to late nights, labour, multi-tasking and so on, can get the most of us down. But, the diligent entrepreneurs have persisted, nevertheless!  So, if you want to start your business, you must first know about small business in India. 

Let’s explore start-up business ideas:

  • Content Writing: 

Do you love writing, have a good command of the language and are expressive with words? Join the band of freelancers in content writing. This is one of the most effective simple business ideas for quick earnings. Almost all websites and online companies have freelance content writers. And there are thousands of such sites, platforms, forums etc., where an individual can get work from. 

You can write on a wide variety of niches ranging from technology, financial subjects, marketing, data analysis, and so much more. Since different kinds of jobs are available, like blog articles, SEO optimisation articles, ghostwriting, autobiography writing etc., choose what you excel at. Find the correct forum, select the projects you want to work on and get paid handsomely! 

  • Photography: 

Convert your hobby and exploit your passion while making money from photography, another one of the small business in India. If you already have the requisite skills and a powerful lens on your camera, then you are ready to launch as a freelance photographer. You can earn by using your photography skills with wedding photography, birthdays, photoshoots and other many other events. You can also set up a studio if you want. Incorporate hard work, update your skills, build loyal clients, and soon enough, you will be on the path of becoming a successful photographer. 

Also Read: Best Small Business Ideas for Rural Areas, Villages, Small Towns in India

  • Travel Agency: 

The travel industry has been negatively impacted because of the pandemic. But have you thought of post-lock down revenge tourism and travel as an idea for a new business in India

Open a travel agency in a good location and make good use of social media and your contacts for business. What you need is an adequate knowledge of popular and offbeat tourist destinations, reliable hotels and transportation services. It will be tremendously helpful to have information about itinerary, travel packages, flight and hotel bookings, etc., at the right price. You can get paid a fee for your consultancy. One trick of the trade is to grow by word of mouth and make a friend of every customer. In this way you can maintain customer retention and make the most of your entrepreneur India ideas.

  • Dance Studio: 

Opening a dance studio is one of the creative small scale business ideas. Exploit your love for dance, choreography etc., and start your journey as an entrepreneur. Rent out a space, sparsely furnish it with mirrors, and you’re ready to go. You can also hire dance tutors when you have two left feet and still make your money!

  • Juice and Milk-Shake Counters: 

Today almost all Indians are health conscious and prefer fresh juices or milkshakes to sodas and cold drinks. This small business requires drinking water, a food permit, a trade license etc., but it's a top idea among the latest best small business ideas in India. You can also add pani-puri, health burgers, ice creams, etc., into the mix. 

  • Blogging: 

Travel experiences, cooking videos, fashion vlogging, reviewing, and more are gaining rapid popularity in the 21st century. There’s a frenzy of video content aimed at people who appear to spend great amount of time watching videos. Therefore, it's an innovative start-up business idea. When you reach your goal of the number of viewers, you can also become a social media influencer and get paid well for blogging about what you love best with almost zero investment and right from your couch!

  • Yoga Studio/Instructor: 

Yoga is the new buzzword. Turn into a yoga teacher or meditation instructor, open a yoga studio, and help others reap its benefits. This is an efficient business idea in India where you will be assisting others to lessen their stress and live healthy. If you are adept at pranayama and various asanas, you will be in great demand. Market yourself in your locality, at the park, clinics, hospitals and schools. Choose whether you want to be an Instructor or start your yoga studio. Both are excellent ideas, especially during the pandemic.

  • Online Business: 

The pandemic has turned brick and mortar shops unviable, and there’s plenty of space on the net to take your business online. The latest apps and platforms like MyStore can even take your paan-shop online within a day! It's one of the most successful small business ideas. You can try online business with educational classes, fitness sessions, delivery platforms, etc. You need the internet, computer or mobile phone, software or apps and skills to stay in business to make this work.

  • Coaching Center: 

An educational hub is always in need of increasing competition in the field of education. Being a low-cost idea, all you need is tutors, online and offline teaching technology and virtual classrooms. Anything to do with education, learning music, yoga, playing the guitar, learn different languages, sports is a great small scale business idea in India bound for success.  

  • Daycare Kids Centre: 

Even with work-from-home facilities, mothers face a lot of pressure to keep up with both work and home duties. Having a daycare kids centre makes it easier for them to manage both without much stress. You need to rent a large house, hire capable staff to sanitise the area and work with kids, trained early childhood teachers and some small investment. This lucrative business is only rising and is a sure-shot winner!

Also Read: Top 10 Successful and Profitable Small Business Ideas in Kerala

Top entrepreneur Ideas in India:

  • Takeaway business: 

Food and Beverage (F&B) professionals and many individuals interested in the culinary arts love the opportunity to cook and serve food for others. In the takeaway business, you can get creative and use social media to start your mess from home and offer tasty takeaway dishes to beat the pandemic blues. No need to start a restaurant; go with dishes you love. Startup ideas in India like making Chinese food, roti and dhal, biryanis can be rewarding. Or making a few dishes for breakfast, lunch, dinner plus juices, snacks or evening krispies are great ideas, and you’re set and ready. 

  • Event Planning: 

Event planning is a lucrative entrepreneur business idea. People now want to celebrate every occasion and moment, and the need for event management and planning services has increased over the last decade. Handle birthdays, weddings, farewells, funerals, get-togethers, kitty parties, etc., if you are a creative and passionate person with an eye for details and organising skills.

  • Institute for tailoring and embroidery: 

Teach, design and stitch for others if that’s where your skill lies. The demand in metros and rural areas is very high, especially during wedding seasons. With some skill and loyal client base, this startup can flourish into a boutique or a tailoring institute as well.

  • Consultancy: 

Consultancy business is one of the best startup ideas in India.

Are you a professional like a lawyer, HR consultant, real-estate expert, healthcare specialist, nutritionist, dietician, lawyer, accounts wizard, web developer, marketing whiz? Start your consultancy from home or online and grow with larger company tie-ups.

  • Placement and HR Services: 

This is a top idea post-pandemic lockdown as many are unemployed, and it is a WFH set-up requiring minimum investment. You can tie up with companies and organizations to offer your services and earn well.

  • Boutiques and Thrift Shops: 

Turn home into a style statement and start an exclusive artefacts or clothes boutique depending on your investment. Better still, one woman’s clothes are another’s poison. So start a thrift shop and upcycle everything that comes your way for a fee.

  • Unisex Hair, Nails and Beauty Salon: 

Individuals love to change and improve the way they look. So cheers to this tiny idea with a small investment and minimum labour requirements. Use these best small business ideas in India to start your entrepreneurship journey today.

  • Give Creative Classes: 

If you’re good at something, exploit it and host classes. Make vlogs, use your friend circle, polish those forgotten skills, and venture into meditation, saree draping, baking, exotic cooking, pottery making, painting and more. There’s no end to the ideas you can come up with!

  • Catering: 

A catering business needs a good cook, raw materials to cook, serve or pack, labour, tents, chairs, tables, vessels etc., which can all be hired. Venture with these best startup ideas in India where you can offer your services to various events such as weddings, birthdays and other parties and events. 

Also Read: Top 5 Government Loan Schemes for Small Business in India

Small business ideas in India:

It's not about how much you invest. The smallest of ideas and success stories are decided by where you want to go! Think of Dhirubhai Ambani, who bought from the Surat Mills, cycled around the city and sold his wares. 

Inspiring? 

Let’s go into those small business ideas for beginner’s making a product. You can try:

  • Handmade Candles: Scented, slow-burn, recycled tea or pool candles are widely used for their therapeutic effects, during religious and wedding occasions etc.
  • Pickle Making, Papads and Churans: These food items dominate the dinner tables as they are considered healthy, tasty and a great addition to bland food! You can start with churans, papads, homemade paneer, finger food, French fries, dips etc. and make good profits in this business.
  • Incense Sticks and disposable dishes: These two are again long-term favourites with assured demand, small investments and ever-growing markets.
  • Paper, jute, or carry bags: The banning of plastic bags and the use of sustainable materials throws up viable options like paper bags and covers, napkins, jute bags, etc.

Conclusion

Well, startup business ideas in India don’t just turn themselves into overnight successes or failures. It’s all about where you want to go and how you want to do it! Take some time to decide on land, building, location, permits required, machinery, your project report, budgets, expected revenues, labour and so on. Work hard and multi-task. Start small to grow big! Accounting software like the Khatabook app, can free up your time significantly. It can maintain all your accounts, create entries and remind outstanding payment to customers, and you are free to strategise or sell! So download this app today and start your business journey hassle-free. 

FAQs

Q: What are the forms of business I can start?

Ans:

You can start your business in the following forms.

  • Proprietorship
  • Partnership
  • Private Limited Company
  • Public Limited Company 
  • Limited Liability Company.

Q: What questions should I ask myself before I start a business?

Ans:

I suggest you ask yourself:

  • Why am I doing this?
  • How much money do I need, and how much do I have?
  • What is it I am best at doing, and where do I need help?
  • What happens if I fail? What is my Plan-B?

Q: What kind of registration is required to start a Micro-Enterprise?

Ans:

To convert your small scale business ideas into reality, you require necessary registrations that depend on the type of industry you are venturing into. Typically all Micro Enterprises are encouraged to obtain trade licenses, Goods and Services Tax (GST) registration, food license, District Industries of Commerce license (DIC), and any others needed to smoothen the process in obtaining facilities from the government, banks etc.

Q: What is the MSMED Act 2006?

Ans:

MSMED’s acronym is Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act of 2006. The Government of India’s Act classifies the various industries on parameters like machinery cost, the labour involved, total cost etc. 

Q: What is the difference between micro and small scale industries in India?

Ans:

If your machinery cost doesn’t exceed 10 lakhs and the total cost is less than 25 lakhs, you have a micro-enterprise. If it is more than 25 lakhs with machinery between 10 lakhs and 2 Crore or the total cost less than 5 Crore, you get labelled as a small enterprise. Between 2 to 5 Cr worth machinery and the total cost is over 10 Crore in your unit, gets it classified as a medium enterprise. Beyond that, your business would be categorised under the large industry.

Q: Which new business ideas in India require low investment?

Ans:

A lot of great business ideas in India are all low investments. Take an example of setting up a Farmer’s Market and sale of organic vegetables. The direct selling of agricultural produce through enterprises like Humus in Bangalore proved to be a good business idea that doesn't cost the earth. They use paper bags and need eco-friendly cloth and jute bags, which are again a great idea. Start up business ideas such as food trucks or juice counters are effective as well.

Disclaimer :
The information, product and services provided on this website are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis without any warranty or representation, express or implied. Khatabook Blogs are meant purely for educational discussion of financial products and services. Khatabook does not make a guarantee that the service will meet your requirements, or that it will be uninterrupted, timely and secure, and that errors, if any, will be corrected. The material and information contained herein is for general information purposes only. Consult a professional before relying on the information to make any legal, financial or business decisions. Use this information strictly at your own risk. Khatabook will not be liable for any false, inaccurate or incomplete information present on the website. Although every effort is made to ensure that the information contained in this website is updated, relevant and accurate, Khatabook makes no guarantees about the completeness, reliability, accuracy, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, product, services or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Khatabook will not be liable for the website being temporarily unavailable, due to any technical issues or otherwise, beyond its control and for any loss or damage suffered as a result of the use of or access to, or inability to use or access to this website whatsoever.
Disclaimer :
The information, product and services provided on this website are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis without any warranty or representation, express or implied. Khatabook Blogs are meant purely for educational discussion of financial products and services. Khatabook does not make a guarantee that the service will meet your requirements, or that it will be uninterrupted, timely and secure, and that errors, if any, will be corrected. The material and information contained herein is for general information purposes only. Consult a professional before relying on the information to make any legal, financial or business decisions. Use this information strictly at your own risk. Khatabook will not be liable for any false, inaccurate or incomplete information present on the website. Although every effort is made to ensure that the information contained in this website is updated, relevant and accurate, Khatabook makes no guarantees about the completeness, reliability, accuracy, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, product, services or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Khatabook will not be liable for the website being temporarily unavailable, due to any technical issues or otherwise, beyond its control and for any loss or damage suffered as a result of the use of or access to, or inability to use or access to this website whatsoever.