In India if you have a budget of than ₹5 lakh, the best options, for a small business are the ones that start with a small investment. These businesses should also be able to make money.. It is good if they can grow by getting more customers or by working with other companies.
If you are looking for some ideas here are a few. You can start a kitchen where you make food for people or a tiffin brand. Another option is a car wash service that people can subscribe to and you will wash their cars at their homes. You can also start a business where you print personalized gifts and merchandise for people.
1) Cloud kitchen / tiffin service (delivery-first food brand)
Food is something we need every day. So a delivery only model is an idea because it helps us save money on a place where people can sit and eat. This way it is possible to start with an amount of money around ₹3–5 lakh if we plan everything carefully. Some people have written guides that say we can start a kitchen with less, than ₹5 lakh if we make smart choices and work in a very organized way.
The thing is, this idea might actually work by the year 2026.
It is possible that something will change by 2026 and it will work.
This thing could be a reality, in the year 2026.
The year 2026 might be the time when this thing starts to work.
A cloud kitchen is really about getting the food packaged and delivered to people and making sure everything is consistent. This means they do not have to spend a lot of money on making the place look nice. Because of this the costs of running a kitchen are usually lower than running a regular restaurant. You can start by serving one type of food and then add options, like combos or subscriptions when you have a lot of customers. You can even create small brands or what people call micro-brands once your cloud kitchen is doing well and people know about it.
Basic budget under ₹5 lakh (simple version)
The cost of starting something like this can be broken down into a things.
You have to think about the cost of kitchen equipment.
Then there is the rent or security deposit if you are not working from home.
You also need to consider licenses and certifications.
Packaging is another thing you have to pay for.
Then there is marketing.
One way to look at it is that the equipment and setting everything up plus getting certifications and marketing can cost between ₹3 and ₹5 lakh.
This really depends on the choices you make and the city you are, in.
How to start (quick steps)
Pick a focused menu (10–15 items max) and a clear audience (office lunch, gym meals, students).
To begin with you do not need a kitchen area. Many people think that a small kitchen space is totally fine. You can still do a lot of things in a kitchen even if it is not right, at the front of your house.
List on delivery platforms and also push direct orders via WhatsApp for repeat customers.
Biggest risk (and fix)
The big problem is that the quality is not always good and things are delivered late. To make it better we should make sure that we prepare food in batches package everything the same way and only offer a few things to eat until people start to like us. This way we can get better at doing things and people will be happy with the food they get from us which’s our restaurant, with a limited menu and strict packaging standards and strict prep batches so our ratings will get better.
2) Mobile car wash service (doorstep cleaning + monthly plans)
A mobile car wash is an idea because it is a service and you do not need a shop to start it. You can start a mobile car wash with an amount of money around ₹5 lakh.
One guide that gives ideas for businesses says that you can start a mobile car wash service with around ₹1.5 lakh to ₹2 lakh. This leaves you with some money to advertise your mobile car wash service and buy a vehicle, for the car wash.
The thing is this idea can actually work by the year 2026.
It seems like 2026 is a time for this to happen.
The year 2026 might be when we see this idea in action.
This can work in 2026 because that is when everything will be ready, for it.
We are looking at the year 2026 as a time when this will be possible.
When you think about apartments, gated societies and office parking areas you can be pretty sure that people will need car wash services. This is especially true if you offer packages instead of just washing cars one time.
Urban apartments and gated societies have a lot of cars that need to be washed
If you sell packages for car washes at urban apartments gated societies and office parking areas it can help make your income more stable.
This way you do not have to worry every day about finding people to wash their cars at urban apartments gated societies and office parking areas.
A subscription model for car wash services, at apartments gated societies and office parking areas can really help.
To get started you will need a kit. The starter kit is what you need to begin with. It has all the things that you require to start something new. The starter kit is very important. You must have it. You should look for a kit that has everything you need.
Basic equipment (pressure washer or waterless kit depending on local rules), microfiber cloths, chemicals, and a scooter/bike for movement.
Simple branding: uniform, visiting cards, Google Business Profile, and society tie-ups.
How to start (quick steps)
Start by approaching housing societies and offering a “society rate” for 20–50 cars.
Sell 4-week or 8-week packages, not single services, to lock recurring revenue.
When I have built trust with my customers I can offer them services like cleaning the inside of their car making the car shine or putting a special coating, on the windshield. This is something I can do after they already like the work I do.
Biggest risk (and fix)
When you have people working for you they do things differently. That can be a problem. This is because it can hurt your business when customers do not come back. To make sure this does not happen you should use checklists. Train your workers to do things the same way. It is an idea to teach them one standard way of doing things before you even hire them. This way Quality is the same across all workers. That helps your business. Quality is very important, for your business so you should make sure all your workers have the Quality.
3) Personalized gift & merchandise printing (festival + corporate demand)
People in India really like to buy gifts for festivals, weddings, birthdays and when companies give presents to their employees. These special gifts can be things, like mugs, t-shirts, caps, photo frames and keychains.
If you want to start a business you can open a store that sells these kinds of personalized gifts and things. To start this business you will need to spend around ₹2 to ₹3 lakh. This money will be used to buy the machines you need like a heat press or a printer and the materials to make the gifts. You will also need to make a website to sell your gifts online.
This is something you can do even if you only have ₹5 lakh to spend.
The thing is this idea can actually work by the year 2026. It is possible that something new will come out and make it happen. This idea can work in 2026 because people will be ready, for it. The idea can work by 2026 if everything goes as planned. The idea can really work in the year 2026.
You can run this business from a space in your home or a workshop. It is easy to make this business bigger by using Instagram and other online marketplaces. You can also get orders from companies. One of the things about this business is that people will want to buy from you again and again at the same time every year. This is called demand. You will also get orders, from companies when you have a lot of products to sell.
What to buy first (avoid overspending)
Start with one core setup (for example, heat press + basic printing workflow) and limited inventory.
Use mockups and samples to sell before stocking too many blanks.
How to start (quick steps)
Build 30–40 best-selling designs (festivals, birthdays, corporate minimal designs).
Partner with event planners, cake shops, and photographers for referrals.
We can deliver things to you in your area within 24 to 48 hours. This is something that sets our delivery service apart from others, which’s a good thing, for people who want to get things quickly. We offer this local delivery.
Biggest risk (and fix)
The problem, with competing on price is that the risk is low margins. To fix this issue we should focus on a key things. We need to think about speed. The company needs to be fast. We also need to think about premium packaging. This means we make the packaging look and feel really nice. Another thing we should think about is corporate packages. This is when the company sells a lot of products to businesses. By focusing on these things we can avoid the problem of margins when competing only on price.
Which one is best for you?
If you want to get started fast and do not want to deal with a lot of complicated things then you should start with a mobile car wash. Mobile car wash is an option because it is simple and easy to begin with. You can start a mobile car wash. It will be up and running quickly. Mobile car wash is the way to go for a start.
If you are good at cooking and can handle things every day you might want to consider running a kitchen or a tiffin service. This is an idea, for people who have cooking skills and can manage daily operations for a cloud kitchen or a tiffin service.
If you like design/branding and seasonal selling: personalized gifts & merchandise.