Business Idea’s under :- 1Lakh, 5 lakh, 10 Lakh, 50 lakh (No Loss , Only Profit)

1.  School Of Recruiters: Help To Hire

With an estimated annual demand of 70-80,000 recruitment professionals, people with specialized skills to help business organizations meet their staffing needs, your “school for recruiters” is unlikely to run out of customers—unless you get the recipe wrong. Include in your programme: employer branding, manpower planning, candidate assessment, fraud detection, online and offline business networking and resume building.
Is this for me
Yes, if you are passionate about “people,” have an aptitude for HR management in general and are well connected in corporate circles. You need to be able to find teachers with relevant skills and at least 7-8 years of experience in the recruitment business to start off.
Insight
“Trained professional recruiters can help business organizations efficiently address their number one concern: finding the right people. Recruiters can set up their own consultancies too.” Vipul Prakash, Elixir School of Recruitment.
How was it done
Elixir School of Recruitment started in 2006, to train recruiters in consultancies and companies’ HR departments.

Investment - Rs 40-45 Lakh
Avg. Break even - 1-2 years
Margin - 30-40%*

2. Just Desserts

You can manufacture ice cream and sell it in your own ice cream parlours or distribute it to different business verticals, like hotels and restaurants.
You sell your product to distributors and, thus, to end users.
Is this for me
A dairy technology course is best, but not the only way; a graduation degree is enough.
Insight
"Lack of quality raw material is shrinking the ice cream business in India even though consumption rate has increased over the years," Mukund Kamath, Owner of Ideal Ice Cream.
How it was done
S. Prabhakar Kamath, the founder of Ideal Ice Cream in Mangalore, used to deal in tailoring material and firecrackers. He wanted a more stable business, so he learnt the art of ice cream making, experimenting with techniques at home. He launched Ideal Ice Cream Parlour on Market Road in Mangalore on May 1, 1975, with 14 flavours. At present, the legacy of producing quality ice cream is in the hands of Mukund Kamath, son of S. Prabhakar Kamath.

Investment - Rs 8-10 Lakh
Avg. Break even- 3 years
Margin - 10% 

3.  Toys On Rent

Happy kids. Happier parents. These are the people you are going to deal with in the toy rental business everyday. Set up a website through which parents can access your repository of toys and subscribe to it as well. Facilitate delivery of the toys at the customers’ doorstep after confirming bookings on the website. This way the parents are able to provide the kids a wide variety of toys, some of which might be expensive, to the meet their child’s ever changing demands.
Subscription charges from the customers. Income can also be generated through franchisees.
Is this for me
Knowledge of the brands of toys you want to include in your library
- Good people skills
- Interest in children
Insight
"It is imperative to identify your target market here and make a detailed customer profile in this business. That way we know that here in Bangalore, areas around IT hubs and other apartment centric residential areas form a large portion of our customer base," Shilpa Prasad, Rentoys. Major existing players in the space: Rentoys, toys-on-rent, toysforrent.
How it was done
The idea was put into action by Neeta Verma who saw the need for providing safe, durable and clean toys to children and at the same time make it a less expensive affair for the parents. What sets rentoys from apart from other similar services is that they only deal with branded toys in their toy library - Funskool, Fisher Price, Tomy, Lamaze etc.
Investment - Rs 5-6 Lakh   
Avg. Break even - 1.5-2 years
Margin - NA

4.  Food Information And Logistic

There is a huge demand for web-available information for restaurants around several cities in the country. Become an end-to-end food service provider by starting your own website and acquiring a logistics team. You would basically be catering to all the customer needs: detailed information of restaurants, food ratings and reviews, bookings and reservations, buffet reviews and most importantly food delivery.
Is this for me
- Strong marketing skills to convince restaurants
- Acquiring a strong local logistics team
- Tech knowledge to start the website
Insight
“At TastyKhana we were able to identify our market by finding out the restaurants who were interested in us. We talked to a lot of them to know if they are interested in outsourcing their logistics to reduce their effort. And we hit gold in the fine dining industry,” Sheldon D’Souza, TastyKhana.
How it was done
TastyKhana evolved to become a huge success, even though the entrepreneurs behind the idea did not have any food related background, because of the keen interest they took in organizing parties and lunches during their corporate lives. It started as an information site which gave listings of restaurants around the city and over time it grew over time to become an end-to-end food service provider by starting delivery services from its associated restaurants to its customers.
Investment - Rs 10-15 Lakh
Avg. Break even - 3-4 years
Margin - 70%

5.  Landscape Solutions

As a landscape irrigation business owner, you irrigate a certain area of land within the stipulated time period according to your client’s horticulture plan.
Is this for me
Technical knowledge of designing and calculating water flow, water friction rate, pipe line size, pump capacity, route of water line, location of control gate valves, selection of irrigation devices like sprinklers, micro sprinklers, drip lines and dripper nozzles will help.
Insight
"Coordination with landscape consultants/companies is necessary to capture the irrigation market. Before signing a contract, check if the required materials are available on time and the area ready to place the irrigation line," Siddharth Rai, Owner of Ficus Landscape.
How it was done
The idea of spending life amidst greenery drove Siddharth Rai to launch Ficus Landscape in 1993. He started with a plant nursery. In 1993, an IPCL (Indian Petrochemicals Corp. Ltd) official came to his nursery to buy plants, and later offered him the execution of IPCL’s landscape project. Ficus Landscape now provides complete landscape solutions, including horticulture, irrigation and lighting plans, along with drainage systems.
Investment - Rs 6-7 Lakh
Avg. Break even- 3-12 months
Margin - 25%

6.  Online Retail Store For Eco-Friendly Products

 An online retail store of Eco-friendly products is a viable business option for people who want to pay back to the society and earn for their livelihood. You can source the merchandise from rural areas or can tie up with several NGO’s to have your product line.
Is this for me
A person with sound internet marketing, web designing skill can start this venture or else a competent team of web marketing professionals, designers may start the venture.
Insight
"Today, we have the choice to shape our tomorrow. Every product that we buy has a story to tell. By buying products that tell a green and good story we choose a future that is green and good for all of us," Aparna Bhatnagar, Green & Good Store.
How it was done
Aparna Bhatnagar, the founder of Green & Good Store worked in different NGOs, Seva Mandir and her voluntary services made her realize that there were many NGOs, green entrepreneurs, artisans who make amazing, high quality products and the sale of these products is an important source of fundraising for them. However, they find it difficult to market their product due to financial and geographical constraints. She felt that by incorporating these products, that have a positive environmental and social impact, into the daily lives of people, she could make difference. She started trying to change the way she lived, the way she shopped. It was tough as there was little information on what these products were, their impact and where one could find them.

Investment- Rs 6-7 Lakh
Avg. Break even- 3-5 years
Margin- 20%

7.  Online Shoe Retailing Business

Leveraging the internet penetration in India one can start online shoe retailing business. The business runs through distributors, inventory team, shipment team etc. In a online shoe store, one can sell thousands of pairs of shoes which otherwise in a showroom may need hundred square feet area in a prime location.
Is this for me
Two skills are required- experience in Retail and good knowledge of internet technology. No specific qualification is required.
Insight
“Online shoe shopping is a very popular concept around the world. In USA, 13% of the total sales of footwear come from online sales. In a country like India, internet is the only way a brand can reach 10, 000 cities and towns of the country. Our strength is variety and service. Any order placed get shipped in 3 hours, and 80% of the time, we are able to deliver within 24 hours,” Manmohan Agrawal, Bigshoebazaar.
How it was done
Bigshoebazaar was founded by four people- Manmohan Agrawal, Danish Ahmed, Nitin Agrawal and Rajul Jain in the year 2008. This online shoe store sells more than 85 brands and over 25,000 designs. After pioneering and establishing in e-retailing of shoes (www.bigshoebazaar.com), the company has recently forayed in the wholesale cash and carry segment (www.bigshoebazaar.net). Beside these, Bigshoebazaar also has six multi brand footwear stores across the country.
Investment - Rs 35-50 Lakh
Avg. Break even - 2-3 years
Margin - 8-10%

8.  Medical Facilities Under One Roof

A business of providing medical facilities in faster and convenient way. The facilities may include fixing up appointment with doctors, arranging ambulance and other transportation facilities for patients living alone or living in the outskirt of the city.
Is this for me
One does not have to be a doctor or nurse but experience in the healthcare sector will be an added advantage.
Insight
"With the increasing trend of corporate culture & growth of healthcare facilities in India, there will be a greater role for services and intermediaries who facilitate efficient distribution and easier access to these services. In the next 3-5 years, I expect to see a lot more innovation and interesting business models emerging in the healthcare services space," Nitin Mathur, Founder & Business Head-HealthPA.
How it was done
In India a large number of people remain under-served due to lack of awareness about medical issues & facilities, or lack of easy access to medical care. This is especially for people from smaller towns and cities, who often need to travel to a larger city for medical treatment. This is where HealthPA, or Health Personal Assistant steps in. Started in the year 2009, their roving health counselors, and information centers take the information and access to advanced health facilities directly to the doorsteps of people in need of this service.
Investment - Rs 15-20 Lakh
Avg. Break even - 6-8 months
Margin - 30%

9.  Food Website With Automated Calorie Calculator

A common food website with recipes, videos and blogs on food with uncommon features like automated calorie calculator and converter has the potentiality to gain market shortly. The calorie calculator and converter is a tool resembling excel, where users input his diet (broken up into items and quantity) and it would convert the same in calorie. This tool should also work the other way around.
Is this for me
No specific qualification required. But food related course will surely help.
Insight
Walt Disney once said, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” I believe one should dream big and then live up to turning dreams into reality,” Sumit Goyal-Founder & CEO FoodandNightlife.com.
How it was done
Sumit Goyal, Founder and CEO of FoodandNightlife wanted to use his knowledge of food industry. His trips to foreign countries also inspired him to launch a food website, because outside India, every country has a food magazine. India did not have that and to capitalize this gap he launched FoodandNightlife in the year 2009. It covers all kinds of food and nightlife related business. Food and Nightlife magazine is a sister concern of Mr. Goyal’s FoodandNightlife website and it was launched in September 2009.
Investment - Rs 5-10 Lakh
Avg. Break even - 3 months - 1 year
Margin - 30%

10.  Nursery School Decor

The good number of nursery schools in our surrounding area inspires to start a nursery decor business. The growth potential of the business is good as there are host of nursery schools coming up, both branded and non-branded. A nursery decor business owner gets quotation from the client and accordingly works to meet the client’s expectation of designing a nursery school within the specified period.
Is this for me
A course in interior designing always helps but a self made person can step into the business if they have experience of working with established interior houses.
Insight
"A nursery decor business owner should maintain the good work and keep a close eye on the aesthetic element of the business involved. Meeting customers demand should be one’s utmost priority and one should achieve this by keeping a close eye on the assigned project," Anwar Ali, Baba Interior.
How it was done
Anwar Ali, founder and owner of Baba Interior founded the company in 2009. He started his career as an electrician, then he moved from this profession and become a plumber and finally worked with a interior designer company. His experience in all the mentioned areas motivated him to have his own interior decorating company with a focus on nursery school interior designing. The interior design company provides its services to real estate buildings, offices, luxury home, casual cafe and restaurants.
Investment - Rs 5-6 Lakh
Avg. Break even - 1-3 years
Margin - 25%

11.  Manufacturing LED Lights

When the whole world awakes into the consciousness of producing energy efficient devices and equipments, manufacturing LED decorative lights could be doable business option for many. The business requires setting up a small manufacturing unit and for that one does not need very high-end machines.
Is this for me
Good product knowledge along with good knowledge of physics, geometry helps. In addition, people with technological bent of mind with an inclination to research and development can come to explore the business opportunity.
Insight
"Hurdle named finance can be easily overcome by hard work. Hard work has no substitute," Rajesh Purohit, Lucifer Lights.
How it was done
Rajesh Purohit, Owner and CEO of Lucifer Lights noticed LED has a vast potential in India due to power shortage and high electricity costs. LED for domestic lighting is a hot business area. To tap this potential market of energy efficient lights, Rajesh brought Lucifer Lights into existence in 2008. The product can be used for lighting up homes and offices. The product is a cluster of LEDs and the fixtures are manufactured with reflectors required to hold this cluster and illuminate an area. In terms of energy efficiency, the product consumes 75% less power than CFLs, and 90% less power than incandescent lamps.
Investment - Rs 10 Lakh
Avg. Break even - 3 years
Margin - 15%

12.  Cake Decorating Business

In India, there are hundreds of cake shops those make and sell cakes. Here, the business idea is different from them. Cake decorating business owner is a person who himself is an expert in cake decorating and may run his business solely or in collaboration with cake shops. In the latter case, revenue generated can get shared between the cake shop owner and cake decorating business owner.
The skills
Expertise requires knowing all the nitty-gritties of cake making and decorating. This expertise can be gathered from a professional course or by working with noted chefs.
Insight
“The business is rewarding and satisfying too. One should come into this business if s/he feels the
urge,” Abhishek Trehan, Celebration Cakes & Flowers.
How it was done
Manjit Trehan a retired professional was the man behind Celebration Cakes & Flowers. He started the cake decorating and making shop in the year 2009. Abhishek kumar, son of Trehen is the successor of the cake business who started his career in a domestic call center. At the office parties he used to wonder how people get amazed by the beauty of decorating cakes. He worked on the idea of cake decorating business and started working with one of his friend who owns a cake shop. After some time he acquired the essential skill required to run a cake decorating and making business and joined his father’s business. Mr. Kumar believes cake is the most important part of any party celebration and so they choose the name of his business as Celebration Cakes & Flowers.
Investment - Rs 5-6 Lakh
Avg. Break even - 3 years
Margin - 20%

13.  A Library That Home-Delivers

Start an online book rental library that delivers books to the customers’ doorstep. It is convenient way for book lovers to get a hand on their favorite books, some of which might be expensive, during these rushed times and schedules, by just ordering from the website and returning it back after finishing it.
Is this for me
Software skills to setup web applications to support library
Knowledge of books/ people who will help you choose books for the library
Insight
"This kind of online book rental library business can also work in tier-2 cities. I think there is a huge demand there, because availability of books does become an issue for the readers in those places," Manish Kumar, Co-Founder, FriendsOfBooks.
How it was done
According to Manish Kumar, India has a non-existent public library system. He and Arti Jain saw this as an opportunity to cater to book lovers anywhere in the country. The customer gets to choose from the website and hence saves time and money on traveling and purchasing the book. Initially, they started as a library and within a year they upgraded to become an online bookstore.
Investment - Rs 10 Lakh
Avg. Break even - 1 year
Margin - 40-45%

14.  One Stop Bonsai Business

There is a huge market for bonsai today. There is a constraint in space for people who want to set up their own garden at home. With the development of bonsai, they are now able to buy a variety of such small plants which they can easily maintain on their rooftop gardens or inside their houses. Hence, you can start your own bonsai manufacturing and gifting set up.
The revenue model depends on the way one markets it. Now a days, florists can form a significant part of your customer base, as they include bonsai products in their gifting service.
Is this for me
- Patience and passion in gardening
- Creativity
- Stock of old bonsai trees to sell
- Knowledge of bonsai in case of entirely new business
Insight
“Along with selling bonsai, one should also make sure they sell other accessories in the store like ceramic trays, copper wires, mesh, moss, peat soil, gravel etc. One needs be a complete solution provider in not just selling bonsai but making sure that people come back to know how to maintain their bonsai and keep it alive,” Veena Nanda, Bonsai Expert.
How it was done
Veena Nanda who has been working in bonsai for the last 25 years, says there is a huge market for appreciating bonsai today. More and more people are appreciating the art. In her ‘Sunshine Bonsai Workshop’ she teaches people the art and also sells her works of art.
Investment - Rs 1.5-2 Lakh
Avg. Break even - 1 year
Margin - upto 50%

15.  Online Art Gallery

With the upswing in the art market in India since the slowdown, online art galleries are picking up. Signalling the space where entrepreneurs can jump in and reap benefits.
Online galleries don’t require extensive expenditure and are easier to maintain. The other incentive being the connoisseur in you will never be away from stimulating colourful agents. Additionally, it can also provide many apsipiring artistes with a platform to sell their work.
Is this for me
Ability to identify and select saleable art.
Insight
“It is one thing to buy and sell artwork and it is another to establish a gallery. Sometimes it may take as long as 10 long years to establish one,” Ashok Nayak, Ashok
Art Gallery.
How it was done
After finishing his degree in fine arts from BKCAC in Orissa, Ashok Nayak came to Delhi in search of buyers of his art. However, the galleries in the city turned out to be biased towards their native artistes. Disappointed, Nayak along with seven other co-artistes set out to launch a gallery of his own “Ashok Art Gallery” in the year 2003. It was soon followed by an online version. They used to send images to people which gave them the idea of starting online gallery. “We profile the paintings on our websites which the art connoissuers can view on request in our display rooms,” says Ashok. The website is used for profiling the paintings where buyers can do the initial screening and once they choose a artwork, they can come and see it in the display rooms.
Investment - Rs 30-40 Lakh
Avg. Break even - 3 months - 1 year
Margin - 25%


16.  Barter Exchange
  
You start an online and broker driven physical exchange. Companies become members of your exchange and offer goods/services, which are valued in ‘Barter Credits’. Other members can get these goods/services in lieu of their own goods/services, without spending any cash. You get 5-10% of the volumes of the ensuing trades.
Members of your barter exchange pay you 5-10% of the value of the trade volume on every trade, just like in a share market.
Is this for me
You need practical knowledge of how and what businesses trade with each other, technical expertise to run an online exchange, a solid business development and brokers’ team, and high quality branding collaterals.
Insight
"Use of better technology will build credibility and transparency for you among your clients, which will be important in your obtaining an edge," Rohit Mahajan, Ormita India.
How it was done
Rohit Mahajan bought the India operating licence from Ormita Commerce Network, and after a year of homework, launched his exchange in April 2010 with a big office. In six months, he already has 800-odd members, including some top media companies. He plans to expand further using the franchise route.
Investment - Rs 30-40 Lakh
Avg. Break even - 3-6 months
Margin - 25-40%

17.  Dog Beauty Parlour

You provide beauty services for dogs (grooming, massage, skin treatments, cures for minor ailments, beauty packages, etc.).
You can get Rs 200-3,000 per session, depending on the service. With four million pet dogs in India, potential industry revenue is Rs 100 crore annually.
Is this for me
You need a degree in veterinary science and/or a dog grooming course (available only outside India). You must love dogs and have the expertise to handle them.
Insight
“You should enter the dog grooming profession only if you have a passion for dogs, not just for profits. It’s a tiring and difficult job,” Aradhana Pandey, Doggy World.
How it was done
After completing a veterinary science course, an MBA, a pet grooming course from Bangkok and two professional stints, Aradhana Pandey started a pet shop, dog clinic and dog parlour simultaneously in 2002 in Rohini (North Delhi) – the first such centre in Delhi.
Investment - Rs 15-20 Lakh
Avg. Break even - 1-3 years
Margin - 50%

18.  Employability Training

More than 75 percent of Indian graduates are unemployable because their education is theoretical. You can offer young graduates, vocational training so that they start being efficient in a job from Day One. Training can include various vocations, soft skills, industry awareness, technical courses with certificates, etc. through means including online Learning Management Systems (LMS).
Is this for me
If you want to or can help the youth gain skills and be employable immediately as they graduate, this is for you. You need industry experience, which you can translate as a trainer into concrete learning.
Insight
“There are lot of people offering similar services, but it is quality that makes the difference and establishes credibility among colleges and students,” Pranav Bhatia, ZigEdu Learning Solutions.
How it was done
After a long stint in education industry including setting up a Public Limited Company in education for a large business group, and while being an Art of Living teacher, Bhatia decided to strike out on his own. His friends and he sensed a disconnect between fresh graduates and company expectations of them and set up Employability Skills division (Urban Vidya) under Bhatia’s newly set-up company, ZIGEDU Learning Solutions.
Investment - Rs 20-30 Lakh
Avg. Break even - 1 year
Margin - 30-40%

19.  Breeding Exotic Pets

The business of breeding exotic pets today has largely improved. Most of the exotic birds and animals breed very well in captivity. To get into the business, you should start small with a few birds and animals that are not very expensive. That way you can assess what kind of animals you want to breed and scale up to more expensive animals.
One can make profits through sales. However, another important means of income is though exchanging animals with other breeders, negotiating and trading off prices to level it out thus adding a variety to your repository to attract customers.
Is this for me
- Passionate about animals
- Need to have the right infrastructure for the kind of pets you are breeding
- Knowledge in medicine and veterinary science gives you the edge
Insight
“Today you will find people dealing with exotic species of dogs, persian cats, rabits, guinea pigs and hamsters. Out of these rabbits have a big commercial market,” Gulab Abdul Wahab, Wetpets.
How was it done
Wetpets has been into breeding exotic birds and fishes for the last 20 years. Gulab says that his family has been into breeding exotic pets for last three-four generations mostly because of the love they share
for animals.
Investment - Rs 3-5 Lakh
Avg. Break even - 1-1.5 years
Margin - 40-50%

20.  Vending Machines

A business that allows you to deal with anything from pre-packed beverages, snacks, newspapers to mobile talk-time recharges, tickets etc. Vending machines are definitely one of the easiest ways to make money where all the owner has to do is choose the right location. Economic growth, development of cities, lifestyle and eating & drinking habits have opened a huge market for these machines caters to peoples’ needs directly.
Mostly the revenue comes from sale of the products in the machine. Advertising also has some scope in the setting up of the machine. It can be done by displaying products in the front-glass machines or by putting ads on the machines themselves. Is this for me
A good idea of the location where you intend to set up the vending machine.
Insight
“Approximately 12-15% of the potential market for vending machines has only been tapped till now in India. So, a huge market is still untapped,” Pulin Dani, Plus Beverages.

21.  Paragliding School

Yes, it is true that you can set up a paragliding school with a budget of Rs 50 lakh. Unlike the common belief, that such business requires huge investments, it can be started with a moderate investment but with high commitment. Passion is the most important ingredient to achieve success in this business.
A paragliding school can offer a slew of packages and services like paragliding courses, rides, tandem paragliding, weekend flying trips, paragliding holiday packages, corporate offsite and outbound getaways, etc.
Is this for me
One should be skilled in paragliding.
Insight
“If you have the right product and the right customer, it makes things easy,” Sanjay Rao, Nirvana Adventures.
How it was done
It all started back in 1996, when Sanjay Rao felt the breeze between his wings for the first time. Along with a few paraglider pilots who were looking for an appropriate place to paraglide near Mumbai, when Sanjay paraglided in the hills of Kamshet, he just knoew what hewanted to do for the rest of his life. Nirvana Adventures is over a decade old now. Started with an investment capital of Rs 5 lakh, today, it is doing mighty well.
Investment - Rs 40-50 Lakh
Avg. Break even - 5-6 years
Margin - 25%

22.  Cakes For Allergies And Restrictions

In India the fashion of customised cakes for allergies and restrictions is fast catching up as in the West where it is an established practice. With the constant surge in the number of health conscious people, an immense opportunity has opened up in this space.
Is this for me
Culinary skills with knowledge of allergies.
Insight
"Desserts can symbolize enjoying the good things of life – indulgence, overindulgence, festivity, temptation, reward, and excitement. So come, become a Foodaholic," Kishi Arora, Foodaholics.
How it was done
After working with top notch names like Four Seasons Hotel in California and Singapore and a slew of upmarket bakeries in the states, Kishi Arora came back to India three years back and started Foodaholics, a speciality cake shop. Started with a startup investment of Rs 50,000 and a floor in her house, she broke even in as much as three weeks time!
Foodaholics promises a 360-degree offering – be it technical food consulting with a trained chef on board, or be it perfectly executed desserts from various countries. It also special customised cakes for its cutomers with allergy problems and restrictions.
Investment- Rs 50 Thousand
Avg. Break even - 6 months
Margin - 70%

24.  Fresh And Healthy Salad

With people increasingly growing health conscious, business of fresh salad has emerged as a lucrative business option. The target customer could be anyone, especially office goers who don’t have many options when at office and more often than not have to settle for greasy, fatty food.
Finding the right location is the most crucial challenge in this business. The other challenge often faced by entrepreneurs is logistics.
Is this for me
A degree in hotel management or experience in a multi-cuisine restaurant helps in setting up this venture.
Insight
“Earlier people weren’t very health conscious which is why we had to limit ourselves to posh localities only,” Ranjan Agarwal, Salad Chef.
How it was done
Salad Chef, a fresh salad store, was launched by two brothers, Sanjay and Ranjan Agarwal and a friend Rakesh Brahmi in the year 1993. Sanjay, a chef at Taj and Ranjan, a food technologist started this venture with the aim to provide fresh and healthy food to their customers. Their business saw a slow start as people weren’t very health conscious back then; however, the scenario is changing for good and their venture is scaling new heights.
Investment - Rs 7.5 - 24 Lakh*
Avg. Break even - 5-6 years
Margin - 25%
*Note: Food court model (100 sq ft) – 7.5 lakh and Standalone store- 20-24 lakh.

25.  Online Gaming Business

The online gaming business seems to be the flavour of the era. Individuals love to indulge in gaming activities after the day's work and have fun. The online gaming business owner will have a website to launch his own gaming software. Otherwise, one just can make the gaming software and sell them to distributors. In the both the cases, the profit potential is huge.
Is this for me
The business owner needs to be any one or all of the three-a good game designer, artist or programmer. But these are not necessary skills. One can start the business by hiring these professionals.
Insight
“The future is in global games for global audiences. Games that the world plays - on the web and mobile and across nationalities and geographies,” Alok Kejriwal, CEO & Co-founder Games2win.com.
How it was done
Alok Kejriwal, the founder & CEO of games2win (an online gaming company) can be best described as a serial entrepreneur. His previous start up - Mobile2win was acquired by The Walt Disney Company (China division) and Norwest Venture Partners (India division). games2win India is his fourth new media venture and is among global top 20 online games company as per comScore. Alok launched games2win in the year 2005. g2w operates portals such as games2win.com, gangofgamers.com and chimpoo.com. It also owns the world’s 2nd largest in-game ad network www.inviziads.com.
Investment - Rs 50 Lakh
Avg. Break even - 3-4 years
Margin - 50%

26.  Foreign Language School

You teach the popular foreign languages like Spanish, German, French, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Italian to students by setting up an institute, where there is focus on practical aspects of language to ensure the job-readiness of the students after they pass out. A lot of activities like reading, writing, listening, and speaking drills; role plays; karaoke singing; festival celebrations to give a more cultural feel; word games and dialogue writing etc.
are involved.
Students pay you on per language course basis, wherein a course could be of 3/ 6/ 12 months, depending on what level is it teaching (there are approx 6 levels). There is a premium attached as good trainers don’t come easy and cheap, and besides the job opportunities for students after the course are well-paying.
Is this for me
If you have interest in learning and teaching about other languages and cultures to others and have a broad outlook of international culture and music, you are in right direction. Besides, it would be good if you have contacts in
Insight
"Apart from European languages, there has been a major shift towards East Asian languages in the last five to ten years," Purnima Garg, Director, The Chinese Language Institute (CLI).
Investment - Rs 1-10 Lakh
Avg. Break even - 1 year
Margin - 20-30%

27.  Consumer Driven For-Profit Social Enterprise

You develop a low-cost innovative product for poor or lower middle class or a product of strategic importance to human life, and sell it at low-cost to the target market, resulting into a revolutionary change in their standard of living, economically, socially, hygienically, physically or mentally (for the differently- abled) etc. You turn profits through volumes.
Is this for me
You need to be passionate about solving a particular problem of the masses and have a solution as well, which may need to be disruptive / innovative in terms of technology, price, distribution, etc. People / companies involved in this business needs to be visionary in achieving short term and long term business objectives.
Insight
“D.light customers have reported that children’s study time has increased by a factor of 2-4 times after purchasing the solar lantern. In addition, each kerosene lantern no longer used, removes 0.5 to 1 ton of carbon emission from the atmosphere,” Sam Goldman, D.light.
Other Major Players
Green Digital, Invention Labs etc.
How it was done
D.light venture began in a garage in Palo Alto, California, in 2007 and moved to New Delhi (India), started in 2008 as an Indian consumer products company selling solar lanterns to people without access to reliable electricity.
Investment - Rs 10 Lakh - 1 Crore
Avg. Break even* - Depend on R&D Time
*Profit could be good enough, but the measuring rod here should be the number of lives impacted.

28.  Plug-N-Play Cum Virtual Office

You get rented or owned premises, furnish it fully with infrastructure, furniture, accessories, equipment and services and then offer it to startups as ready-to-use office accommodation.
Startups who need ready-to-move-in offices and services, but cant afford expensive business centers will be ready to take up such offices. The rates will depend on the city, location and other specs. But the returns are always excellent. What you must provide: a good address, with easy access to mailing, phone, fax, and courier services.
Insight
“Put all your efforts in marketing, quality and customer service being obvious,” Audrey Moruzzi, Marks Business Center.
How it was done
While Jay Thaker had additional space in his office to offer and so started Sutralite, his plug-n-play office in Mumbai, Audrey Moruzzi couldn’t find a cheaper office option for her 3 people-startup in exports, other than expensive business centers. So, she started Marks Business Center, in south Delhi, to offer cheaper space to startups.
Investment - Rs 3-50 Lakh
Avg. Break even - 6-12 months
Margin - 20-40%

29.  Organized Rickshaw With VAS

Organize rickshaw pullers under a single banner, re-engineer their vehicles and roll out a pre-paid city transport service. The new rickshaws can be loaded with cell-phone chargers, mobile re-charge coupons, first-aid kits, mineral water and newspapers among other goodies. It should be easy to enrol the pullers as the new deal assures them a steady income, security, insurance protection and a dignified life. The rickshaws if replaced by subsidized solar rickshaws will take the gruelling manual labour out of the business.
Is this for me
This is for people who wish to engage in a business with a social purpose. If you feel strongly for the downtrodden and want to make a difference, then hop on to a rickshaw.
Insight
“Believe in your ideas and the world will believe in you,” Irfan Alam, Samman Foundation.
How it was done
Rattling along in a rickshaw in his home-town Patna, Irfan could not get water. He studied the rickshaw economy and vowed to change their sorry plight. He designed a rickshaw that could stock items like mineral water and newspapers to be sold to the customers. The business, however, involved more than just that- it involved stirring hope in deadened hearts! He shared with the pullers an idea that promised to boost their incomes and also help them discover a life of Samman or dignity.
Investment - Rs 10 Lakh upwards
Avg. Break even - 1 year
Margin - 10-15%

30.  Business Incubator

Startups utilize your incubation facilities that include office space, office infrastructure, technology, mentoring, funding, salaries, etc. till they become self sustainable, in return for an equity stake to you in their startup. Only those startups will be incubated that successfully qualify after applying.
You take a small equity stake (`3-10%) in the startup and/ or the startups pay you for the plug n play office space.
Is this for me
You need to have industry contacts to get mentors, an office space to provide to startups, and very good experience in running and helping startups.
Insight
“If you can ditch your Girl Friend for a date with an [Aspiring] Entrepreneur, you have it!” Mohit Bansal, L-Pad.
How it was done
Having started an MBA course in entrepreneurship to help students, Mohit Bansal saw the need to help them in actually starting up, so altered his model in Feb 2010 and started the incubator: L-Pad, having 13 acclaimed industry mentors, like Alok Mittal, and a plug n play office with seating capacity of 20 people.
Investment - Rs 10 Lakh - 1 Crore
Avg. Break even - 6 months - 5 years
Margin - 0-50%

31.  Employee Rewards Platform

You offer unique rewards packages on technology platform (managed by your company) customised for mid- and large-sized corporations for them to offer to their employees. The packages are in the form of exclusive discount deals on products and services. The business aims to create a marketplace where corporate employees get to enjoy extraordinary discounts and the merchants gain access to an excellent high volume sales channel for their products
and services.
Is this for me
Positive attitude and resilience to bad news are the most important attributes for surviving and succeeding in this business. New ideas take time to get accepted, especially if you are not spending a fortune to promote them! As for skills, this is all about sales. Sell the concept to the corporate and sell the idea to the merchants. Street smartness is a must.
Insight
“Always pitch your idea at the decision maker. Beware of Gatekeepers,” Anshul Gupta, Privilege Corner.
How it was done
After his MBA from ISB, Anshul Gupta was with a very successful start-up in the online demand aggregation/ private sale model space. He understood that the model could be replicated in B2B settings and co-founded Privilege Corner.
Investment - Rs 30 Lakh upwards
Avg. Break even - 6-12 months
Margin - 25% approx.

32.  Out Of The Box Media Platform

You create / buy media space for ads on unexplored spaces and sell them to clients:
On-vehicle ads: You offer a one-stop solution (designing to printing) to clients for ads on vehicles used by the general public; you pay the vehicle owners from your commission.
Ads on photocopy backs: You offer clients bulk ads – for schemes or discount coupons aimed at college students – behind photocopied study notes.

Raghu Khanna

Harsh Narang

Is this for me
A. On-vehicle ads: You need high skills in car wrapping. You should be able to sell ad space on cars to B2C companies.
B. Ads on photocopy backs: You must be good at sales. You need just-right printing technology to ensure the ads are visible, but don’t disturb the students. You must be methodical to run a multi-college operation.
Insight
“You see problems and issues only when you deviate from your goals. Be focused and determined and you can achieve anything. Failure is a state of mind,” Raghu Khanna, Cashurdrive.
“It is important to understand what the consumer/client wants. Efficiency on a daily basis is necessary here,” Harsh Narang, PhokatCopy.
How it was done
Inspired by trucks stuck in traffic jams, Raghu Khanna started Cashurdrive in September 2008 with Rs 12-15 lakh. By April 2009, he broke even. Today, he wraps 300-400 vehicles daily, with projects like CWG with him.
Started by Harsh Narang in June 2009, PhokatCopy offers “free photocopies” to students, which are subsidised by revenue from ads behind each sheet.
Investment - A. Rs 12-15 lakh, B. Rs 4-5 lakh.
Avg. Break even - A. 6-12 months, B. 1 year
Margin - A. NA, B. 20-30%

33.  Animation Studio

Venturing into an animation studio business is not restricted to an animator only. This business is equally viable for people who have not done any course in animation. The business will require having four/five computers, office space and a team of skilled professionals.
Is this for me
Certification programs, degree, diploma in animation are the various courses available in the market to an aspiring animator but to own an animation studio, these qualifications are not required. But it is good to have knowledge of the industry and fondness of such work.
Insight
“India’s Animation sector is witnessing a major boom. A new outsourcing fever has gripped India. Global entertainment majors like Walt Disney, Imax, Warner Brothers and Sony are signing up contracts with Indian animation companies. So the Indian animation industry has more opportunity in its offing,” Anil Sharma, Vice President-Operations, AAG.
How it was done
MD Gujrati started the Academy of Animation & Gaming (AAG) in the year 2007. He started AAG with the purpose of bridging the gap between the needs of the rapidly booming animation, gaming and visual special effects industry for skilled professionals who fulfill industry’s needs. AAG is also a reputed name in providing 3D, flash animation projects to its clients.
Investment - Rs 20-25 Lakh
Avg. Break even - 3-4 years
Margin - 10-20%

34.  Education Tourism

You offer very niche and highly valued educational courses (offshore training) to foreign students combined with customized holiday trips / excursions in India, charging them a combined amount with a premium attached.
Is this for me
Selfless customer focus and excellent HR skills are a must for a successful Offshore Training enterprise as you need world class trainers to offer an impeccable quality.
Insight
"Persistence and focus eventually pays off. As per the 10,000 hour principle expounded by Malcolm Gladwell in his bestseller “Outliers”, 10,000 hours of practice is a prerequisite for great achievement,” Rohit Aggarwal.
How it was done
Koenig Solutions started in 1993 as a domestic training company, with a capital of Rs 1 crore. In the dot com bust Koenig decided to downsize and focus only on the profitable niches. Koenig saw an opportunity to make an extra buck by bundling hotel tariff in the course fee and making money on commission from the hotel (a miserly amount of Rs 200/- per day seemed likea princely sum to us in those days). The first student came from UK in 2002. Being happy, he agreed to become our referral in UK. We started receiving more students inspite of ramshackle facilities, but gave students 1-on-1 training and abundant attention of admin staff which saved a lot of money. Over the years, our facilities and computers are now state-of-the-art. Koenig is now established as the leader in Offshore Training and other enterprises in South East Asia are following its foot-steps.
Investment - Rs 40-50 Lakh
Avg. Break even - 1 year
Margin - 60%

35.  Selling Insurance Salvage

You can set up an independent salvage disposal company and help insurance agencies sell damaged goods accumulated with them during insurance claim process. You will primarily help in procuring buyers who make competitive bids for the goods. You will set up necessary infrastructure to advertise the sales, gather bids and submit them to the insurance company.
The skills
Computer conversant with sound knowledge of general insurance claims. Domain knowledge gives the edge Specific qualification is not required.
Insight
“As an independent surveyor, one cannot spend much on advertisement and has minimal personal resources. This fueled me to launch isalvageauction.com with the intention of making the salvage disposal system most transparent,” Naresh Tagotra, isalvageauction.com.
How it was done
Naresh Tagotra started isalvageauction.com that provides free advertisement space and the sellers have all the control. The site acts as their own space where their own details get listed and interested buyers can contact them here. In its model of working anyone (surveyor loss assessor, individual, corporate body, government department or insurance company) can sell the insurance salvage without outsourcing the service to third party agency.
Investment - Rs 5 Lakh
Avg. Break even - 4 years
Margin - 15-20%

36.  Trading Medical Oxygen Cylinders

Medical oxygen is used during surgery, intensive care treatment, inhalation therapy, etc. Apart from being used for treatment of hypoxia or hypoxemia, asthma, bronchitis, pulmonary edema, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Oxygen is typically supplied to hospitals through bulk liquid deliveries and these hospitals employ distribution points and cylinder trolleys for portable use of medical oxygen.
The skills
Good knowledge of handling the gas cylinders are required so that one can carry this business efficiently.
Insight
"Our company produces cylinders after getting orders from oxygen producers. The standard color codes are then painted on the cylinder before it is delivered. The cost of cylinders depends on the size. On an average, a cylinder of 5L would cost around Rs 3,000 while a 47L cylinder would cost around Rs 6,000," Vijay Parikh, Al Can Exports Pvt Ltd
How it was done
M/S Al-Can Exports Pvt. Ltd started its journey in the year1985, promoted by a technocrat Vijay K. Parikh. Mr. Parikh is one of the leading manufacturers and exporters of seamless Aluminum Bottles & Containers for packing Industries. Al-Can Exports thrives to provide quality product and prompt service.
Investment - Rs 1-5 Lakh
Avg. Break even - 1 year
Margin - NA

37.  Frozen Yogurt Chain

 You offer site-made all-natural frozen yogurt selections with a selection of fresh fruits toppings such as Blackberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Dragon Fruit, Strawberries, Mango, Pineapple, Pomegranate and Kiwi with lots of dry toppings. The guest gets to create his/her selection to their liking.

The skills
Culinary skills and knowledge of recipes

The players
Cocoberry 

38.  Niche Cuisine Restaurant
 You start a restaurant offering a niche regional cross-continental cuisine like Japanese, Thai, Mexican, Mughlai etc, having the best of ambiance, crowd, and great food.

The skills
- Knowledge of culinary skills
- Cooks who are familiar with the cuisine
- People skills as you need to help people get familiarized with the new cuisine

The players
Punjabi By Nature, Oh! Calcutta, Mainland China, Olive, Veda 

39.  Job Aptitude Testing Services
 When it come to recruiting right person for a job, a large number of organizations in India don’t have the rightmost procedures to judge whether the candidate even has an aptitude in that field or if he/she is just struggling for a job. Very specialized job aptitude testing service can be a great service to those companies, specially for ones that go for campus recruitments. You develop a product, that can be customized for companies and can even conduct the exam on behalf of them in campuses.

The skills
- Should be good at psychological profiling of people
- Knowledge of HR needs of company
- Technical knowledge of various kinds of tests used in recruitment
- Technical expertise to develop software

The players
Aspiring Minds

40.  Karaoke Platform/ Bar

Karaoke is fast catching up as a culture in India and can be offered in many ways. You can have karaoke nights, have some kind of competition, give singers a platform to perform to get get them noticed for their career prospects. You can also set up a non-alcoholic karaoke bar which will basically have coffee and snacks. This can be a huge hit among teetotalers, kids and family gatherings.

The skills
You should have good marketing skills and must be a music lover so that you include the best songs in your repository.

The players
There are no exclusive karaoke bars in India.

41.  Manufacturing Holograms

 With industries and government waking up to piracy and counterfeits, the business of holograms has a promising future. The Indian hologram market is growing at 20 percent per annum and has more than 40 players. Constant up gradation of technology and sourcing of equipment are some of the things you need to look out for in this business

The skills
Expertise to manufacture holograms with customised security features, Knowledge of where to outsource from to reduce costs, very good selling skills required.

The players
Holoflex, Holostik India

42.  Manufacturing Wings

 Indian hair is considered to be fine, lustrous and free from chemical treatments, making it suitable for manufacturing wigs. You can become a hair wig manufacturer or exporter and have customers throughout the globe, including celebrities! The hair exported can be either raw or processed/polished. The profit margins are around 15% and 50% respectively.

The skills
Creativity to experiment with different kinds of hair designs

The players
Savvy Wigs and Hair International.

43.  Day Spa

 Rejuvenating one’ s mind, body and soul can be capitalized by venturing into a day spa business offering services like massage, facial, body facial, skin exfoliation etc. These offerings can further be subdivided and customized as per individual needs. Approximately, 50 lakh minimum investment without surgical equipments, would be required.

The skills
Qualification in this specific field and/or experience of working in a reputed spa would help. You need to hire skilled professionals in setting up the business which may be in shortage

The players
Blue terra spa, Akasha Boutique Spa, Tattva etc

44.  Cane Business

 Cane furniture today has managed to create a niche market for itself, thanks to the efforts put in by some big stores which manage to sell their products for anything from Rs 35,000 to several lakhs of rupees. It is developing as a trendy furniture and has huge prospects if you can pool in resources from the unorganized sector to start your own business.

The skills
Getting people from unorganized sector, to manufacture for you and managing them can be tedious. If you want to sell your own products, you need to
be creative.

The players
Cane Boutique , Cane-line, The Next Shop

45.  Luxury Boats

 Luxury yachts are sought after for their ability to offer fun and exclusive mobile lifestyle. While dealing with importing and selling boats, to maintaining them at a price can be an expensive affair, there are several other opportunities available to you - manufacturing, training and placement of crew and staff, and charter services.

The skills
Some experience in the hospitality industry gives you the edge, plus a sense of luxury, and technical knowledge of boat manufacturing (in case of manufacturing).

The players
West Coast Marine, Marine Solutions, Infinity yachts

46.  Engineering Plastics

 With new manufacturing technologies replacing older ones and cost-effectiveness becoming the mantra of modern-day competitiveness, plastic is replacing various metals and is growing to become a lucrative business. You can choose for which field you want to start your plastic business from a variety of options - automobiles, aircrafts, fiberglass boats, electrical and electronic items, medical equipment, and machinery.

The skills
Expertise in the particular domain where you want to start your business.

The players
Finolex Industries Ltd. , Plastiblends India Ltd., AGA Group International

47.  Heritage Tourism

 Heritage tourism contributes well over 60 percent to the overall share of tourists in India, both domestic and foreigners. With greater awareness among entrepreneurs and tourists, demand for sightseeing heritage monuments in under-explored areas is rising, be it tour operation, transport, restaurants, hotels, and airlines.

The skills
Good marketing skills, historical knowledge of the particular heritage monuments, very good guides and reliable tie-ups.

The players
Apass India Leisure Solutions

48.  Western Musical Instruments

 Lucrative opportunities in manufacturing, exporting and importing western musical instruments beckon entrepreneurs in this fast-growing segment. The advent of Fusion groups, rock bands, corporate bands, and mall culture have all pepped up the popularity of western musical instruments especially in metros and big cities, majority of them being children and college goers.

The skills
Knowledge of various brands of music instruments and technical knowledge of the instruments.

The players
Raj musicals, Musical escapades

49.  Medical Tourism Guide Agency
 The flourishing medical tourism in India drives the potential of embarking into a travel company that provides complete package including healthcare arrangements, stays in hotels, after-treatment stay etc to foreign patients. These agencies will act as a facilitator between patients and various hospitals, hotels and tour companies. Besides, they also provide treatment advisory services to medical tourists. The patients will choose different types of treatments, hospitals, packages and a convalescent holiday after their treatment.

The skills
No specific qualification is essential but the industry knowledge helps. You need to market very well, as medical tourism in countries like Thailand and Bangkok pose threat to Indian medical tourism.

The players
Travel India Company

50.  Manufacturing Water Purifers

 Water purifier business is the new trend catching up in India. Starting up a water purifier business is lucrative and requires knowledge of the product. There are several kinds of purifiers in the market. Most popular types are RO (reverse osmosis) and UV (ultraviolet) based. Besides these, there are simple candle filter purifiers, softener plants, and water distilling plants (used only for commercial purposes). To venture into this business one needs to set up a small manufacturing unit with not so high end machines with an investment of about Rs. 1 lakh - 4 lakhs. For the middle class market, this a price sensitive product.

The skills
Knowledge of manufacturing the water purifiers and/ or experience of working in the same.

The players
Eureka Forbes, Usha, Kent, Unilever, Bionics 

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