Do you need millions and billions to start a business? No, you need a good business plan and the determination to execute it. India today has millions of businesses that can be set up with moderate to low capital. If you were looking for top small business ideas in India, here is a quick list of the top 20 ideas of the best business to start in 2021.
But before getting into the detailed list of ideas of small business in India, let’s check out a few integral aspects of ideas for small scale business in India.
Table of Contents
How to start a small business in India?
If you have been surfing all about ideas for business in India, you need to figure out a roadmap to start it. So, here are the steps to execute those business ideas in India for beginners.
1. Industry Research: After surfing and deciding on the small business you want to set up, you must research the industry. Make a checklist of the investment, expected annual returns, and demand for the product/service.
2. Build a Business Plan: Execution without chalking out the steps of business can lead you to failure. It is essential to create a business plan that will serve as a step-by-step guide for the business execution.
3. Check Legal Requirements: There can be some legal requirements for specific businesses. To ensure legal compliance, it is essential to register your business.
4. Capital Investment and Hiring: When starting a small business with low investment, it is essential to budget out how to use your capital. Sketch out the capital to be used for machine installation, office space, hiring staff, etc. It enables you to get a clear picture of the recurring investment.
5. Marketing: In this competitive age, a business cannot survive without marketing its products/ services well. Decide the budget of marketing and also the mode of marketing. Today digital marketing is booming. If your business requires a digital presence, you must hire digital marketers to ensure efficient marketing of your business.
Now, you have a roadmap, let’s look into the small business ideas for India. The below list of ideas will help you to find an answer to the question “Which business is best in India?”
List of Small Business Ideas in India 2021
Here is a list of small bussiness ideas in India.
1. Video Creation or Editing
2. Bakery
3. Writing or Blogging
4. Proofreading and Editing
5. Photography
6. Designer Mask Business
7. Dropshipping
8. Online Tutoring
9. Dance Academy
10. Zumba Instructor
11. Regular Food Home Delivery
12. Tailoring and Alteration
13. Matchmaking Bureau
14. Transcription
15. Food & Beverage Joint
16. Portrait or Craft Business
17. Consultancy
18. Astrology or Tarot Card Reading
19. Courier Services
20. Candle Making
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Top 20 Ideas of Small Business in India 2021
The abundance of ideas for business in India is undeniable. Amidst millions of small scale business ideas in India, we have assimilated a list of the best business ideas in India with low investment.
1. Video Creation or Editing
Video content is the type of content that has a higher chance of going viral than any other type of content. Today, businesses are investing in creating introductory, promotional, and explainer videos. Also, influencers are investing in video editing to enhance the quality of their videos. Therefore, video creation or editing is one of the best small scale business ideas that can fetch good profits. However, one must learn video creation and editing skills well to land high-ticket clients. You may find prospective clients on LinkedIn, Upwork, Fiverr, and other freelancing platforms.
2. Bakery
Cakes, pastries, cookies are a great way of starting a business. Bakery is one of the best ideas for business in India. People love celebrating occasions with cakes while cookies are a regular part of their lives. Recently, the creativity on cakes has a great demand, and clients are willing to pay heftily to get personalized cakes. Fondant decorations and pinata cakes have a high demand in the Indian market. The best thing about this business idea India is that it can be started from home. Several home bakers earn handsomely for exhibiting their creativity through cakes.
3. Writing or Blogging
Content writing is a lucrative option for starting a small business. Several types of content writing can be categorized into academic writing and commercial writing. It is one of the best small business ideas in India for students. If one is looking for a passive income option, he may start a blog as well. However, it takes a few months to years to generate income from blogging.
4. Proofreading and Editing
If you have expertise in the English language. Then, proofreading and editing can be some of the best small scale business in India ideas for you. There are several remote jobs associated with proofreading and editing. You can opt for a few contractual jobs and then approach a publishing house to extend your service.
5. Photography
Photography is one of the trending business ideas India for beginners. The only investment involved is buying a semi-DSLR or DSLR camera and learning the skill. The demand for photographers in events such as weddings, rice ceremonies, engagements, baby showers, etc. has boomed in the last few years. If you have been pursuing photography as a hobby, this small business idea is apt for you. While better cameras lead to better quality photos, it’s the precision, creativity, and point of view that makes a difference in photography. Also Read: Top 10 Best Websites to Sell Photos Online and Earn Money
6. Designer Mask Business
After the outbreak of coronavirus, masks are one of the essentials in our daily life. People get bored of the same old masks. Designer masks are trending as influencers are matching up their masks with the attire. Therefore, starting a designer mask business is one of the best ideas for business in India right now. It requires very low investment and you have the liberty of exhibiting your creativity. Mostly, you need to concentrate on your marketing strategy to promote your products.
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7. Dropshipping
Dropshipping is one of the best business ideas India with low investment. As you do not need to stock products, the only area of investment is marketing. In this case, the order placed by clients is directly shipped by the manufacturer or third party. You can start a dropshipping business of home décor, garment, kitchen accessories, mobile cover, etc. It is one of the best small business ideas in India from home. Meesho is a good platform to start your dropshipping business. Additionally, you may search for manufacturers who serve you with the same service. However, there are frauds in the market as well. Therefore, you must be cautious about choosing the manufacturer or seller for your dropshipping business.
8. Online Tutoring
After the pandemic struck, online tutoring is one of the new small business ideas in India for students that boomed. You can start online tutoring if you have access to the internet and laptop. It is one of the business ideas for rural areas in India as most rural areas lack access to good teachers. You can start tutoring students for any subject you have expertise in. Additionally, tutoring for soft skills is also trending. You can also create online courses to earn by imparting your knowledge.
9. Dance Academy
If you have pursued dance as a hobby, you may start teaching your skills to earn money. Opening a dance academy is one of the best small profitable business ideas in India. The initial investment involves leasing or renting a room and marketing. However, one must obtain certification in dance style to gain leverage in this business. It is one of the most ideal business ideas in India small towns. There are several forms of dance such as Bharatnatyam, Kathak, western, contemporary, lyrical hip-hop, and more. You can choose your niche and promote your services to earn money from this small business.
10. Zumba Instructor
Zumba is one of the best ideas of business in India. People have become health conscious in the last few years. Zumba serves as an energetic exercise and thus there is a high demand for good Zumba instructors. You can become a Zumba instructor with just a small room. If you are teaching Zumba online, you do not need to invest in a large space. This makes it one of the best ideas for small business in India from home.
11. Regular Food Home Delivery
As work-from-home is still a thing in India, most couples do not get time to cook even if they’re at home. In such cases, they always look for home-cooked food. Therefore, starting a business of delivering home-cooked food is one of the small shop business ideas in India. In the current situation, there are families where every member is affected by Covid. These families often look for regular food home delivery. Therefore, it is one of the best business in India ideas. You can flourish in this business if you can cook well or hire a chef with cooking skills. The food requirement for this business is quite different from restaurant food. You must chalk out the menu that is more inclined toward healthy food. People availing of this service usually prefer low oil, low spice food.
12. Tailoring and Alteration
Even though readymade garments have hampered this business, tailoring still has relevance in the Indian market. As one size doesn’t fit all, tailoring remains on the list of small business ideas in India. One can start this business from home. The only investment, in that case, would be a sewing machine. Additionally, you have the opportunity to scale this business when the number of orders increases. As people are reluctant to visit the store during this pandemic time, you may offer at-home measurement services to enhance your business opportunity.
13. Matchmaking Bureau
Indian traditional arrange marriages have always brought business to matchmakers. Therefore, starting a match-making bureau can serve as one of the best business ideas in India villages. It will require registration and office space. You may or may not opt for a digital presence at your convenience. The Match-making bureau has the responsibility of maintaining a database of prospective bride and groom, match the requirements of both sides and arrange meetings for the parties.
14. Transcription
Transcription refers to writing down the content listening to audio. It is essential to maintain the punctuations, paragraphs, and expressions of the audio in the content. There is a huge demand for transcription in western countries and thus you can earn well with this service. Transcription serves well as one of the small profitable business ideas in India. You can start offering transcription services on freelancing platforms to get International clients.
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15. Food or Beverage Joint
Indians love eating out or hanging out with friends at a restaurant. Therefore, setting up a food and/or beverage joint is one of the best small budget business ideas in India. You will need to lease or rent a space, invest in interior designing, and setting up sitting space. Apart from this, you may also tie up with Swiggy and Zomato for home delivery.
16. Portrait or Craft Business
Buying power of Indians has increased over the last five years. People are willing to spend money on gifting options. Portraits and craft items have become successful businesses as people are more inclined towards personalized gifts. If you have art skills, portrait business is one of the best small business ideas for you. Similarly, if you have expertise in creating craft items, this small business idea may fetch you high profits. According to the recent trend, digital portraits are in demand. So, if you are offering portrait services, you may upgrade your services to digital portraits.
17. Consultancy
You can start a consultancy in various segments, such as career, legal, or even life. Earlier, Indians had an aversion toward consultancy which has subsided with time. Nowadays, people prefer investing in consulting services to trade their time with money. Setting up a consultancy requires low investment but a lot of effort at the initial stage. However, it still serves as one of the best business ideas India. Before starting a consultancy, it is essential to work on personal branding to land clients.
18. Astrology or Tarot Card Reading
Astrology has been a traditional career path while tarot card reading is relatively a new profession in India. There is a large population who believe in astrological and tarot card prediction. Therefore, these professions may serve you well as a small business idea in India. However, you need to obtain certification to practice astrology and tarot card reading in India. You can provide these services offline as well as online.
19. Courier Services
Logistics has always been an important part of commercial as well as personal requirements. Setting up a courier business requires manpower but can fetch immense profit if you are serving the customers well. It is one of the best small business ideas for rural areas in India. The reason is that most big logistics companies do not have a network in rural areas. This opens up a wide scope for small courier services. You may also tie-up with brands like DTDC, professional courier, delhivery, etc if you want to work under a brand umbrella.
20. Candle Making
Candles are not just used for decoration but also aromatherapy. It is one of the best business ideas in India for beginners. You can start this business from home with a mere investment of Rs. 10000. As people are more inclined towards buying candles for events or just daily use, there is a huge scope of booming in this business. There is a considerably high demand for scented candles.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. How to choose the best small business idea?
To choose the best small business idea for yourself, ask the following questions yourself.
- Do I have a knack for any specific industry?
- Do I have a skill that I can monetize?
- Can I use my hobby to earn money?
The answers to these questions will lead you to the ideal small business idea. After deciding on the business type, conduct thorough market research and understand the budget required to start this business. Once done, create a business plan and execute.
2. Which business is best in India?
Several small businesses are booming these days. It is hard to specify the best business in India. But if you want to start a small business, you can check out the above list to know the options. However, it is recommended to choose a small business idea that is compatible with your skills.
3. How much investment is required to start a small business in India?
The investment required in business varies with the type of business. We have tried to cover all the small business ideas that require low investment. It can range between Rs. 0 to Rs. 60000. Choose the small business idea that fits your budget.
4. Which small business requires zero investment?
Most small business ideas that require zero investment are associated with skills that you have already acquired. However, you can start a dropshipping business with zero investment.
5. Can I start a small business for passive income?
Yes, you can start a small business for passive income as a side hustle. However, you will have to put in some effort to generate leads.
Final Thoughts
You can find more than a thousand small business ideas online. However, we have tried to assimilate a list of small business that requires low investment and are popular in India. Hope this list of the top 20 best small business ideas in India 2021 will help you to make an informed decision.
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