Best Food Business Ideas In India [Low-Investment Businesses]

There are several food business ideas available, but choosing the best one depends on you. No one other than you understands your capability to start and grow a business.

9 Food Business Ideas to Consider

When you are thinking of working on a food business idea, you should be aware of all the options available and start at your convenience. Let us look at various food business ideas that can help you in your career.

1. An Indian Food Blog

This is the most affordable and effective food business idea. Nowadays, with the advent of the internet in our lives, the world has become smaller. Many people start their channel on online video-sharing and social media platforms, but the truth is that the content would not be yours. It can be removed if you do not follow the rules of the forum. So, start your food blog by hosting it on your website, as it gives more credibility. The blog requires minimum investment, like purchasing equipment for recording, utensils, food items, and managing the website. You can write blogs on the things you cook and also on different cuisines you have tried. Try to prepare niche food items so that they would attract more audience to your website.

2. Start a Home Tiffin Service

With many people staying outside their homes, a home tiffin service is a good food business idea. People crave home-cooked food, and you can be their savior by providing them with it. With minimum investment and good returns, this is also one of the best food business ideas. The main things to keep in mind are, maintaining hygiene standards, applying for a license or registration, following the FSSAI guidelines, and providing tasty, home-cooked food. You can promote it on social media platforms and in your WhatsApp groups so that more and more people know about your tiffin service.

3. Teach Cooking Online

Nowadays, we have seen several people have taken this idea, but many of them lack the passion for cooking, and the videos seemed copied and contrived. Start online cooking classes on your website and also go for offline classes for local crowds. Look for candidates to enrol in your class and teach them cooking. Prepare a course module on different cuisines. Maintain a blog for people to read about food. With enough experience gained from it, you can write and publish a book on your food journey. This is one of the best food business ideas with minimum investment and good returns.

4. A Bakery Shop

When you are looking to step up on your food business ideas, you need to consider opening a bakery shop. If your interest lies in baking cakes, consider opening a bakery shop. First, you need to understand where you should open your shop for maximum footfalls. Try baking local items in your area to attract customers. You can promote your bakery on social media, put ads in local newspapers, tie up with food delivery aggregators, send out promotions in local WhatsApp groups, and put out pamphlets. Massive investment is required to start a bakery along with the license and equipment for preparing the items. But, with a careful approach and taking help of experts, you can smoothly run this business.

5. A Food Truck Business

The concept of running a food business through a food truck has been gaining much attention. Many people have moved to this mode of serving food from renovated vehicles. According to Business World, the investment required to start a food truck is between Rs 10 and 20 lakhs. It may vary. But this is an unorganised business, as there is no regulatory body to govern them. People who want to start this business in Mumbai and Bengaluru should get a license or registration beforehand. But with low investment and access to multiple locations, this is becoming a trend in many places.

Also Read: Best Rice Brands In India

6. Open a Fast Food Joint/Restaurant

When it comes to big food business ideas, opening a restaurant or a fast-food center comes to the mind. When you have a certain amount of experience in the food industry, you should decide to venture into this big league. Obtaining the licenses and renewing them on time is a Herculean task. Beside that, choose the right staff, good cooking team, location, and promotion to increase promotion. The investment can be in lakhs and can go up to crores depending upon the scale of your restaurant or the fast food center.

7. Start an Organic Food Shop

Not all food business ideas involve preparing or teaching about food. Nowadays, people are looking to have organic food in their daily diet. So, choose a good locality where you see a huge potential for your business. The investment in it is moderate, but it can vary as per the requirements of your customer. You can keep organic vegetables, fruits, and groceries from reputed brands. You should promote your shop in the locality and keep facilities for home delivery within a certain radius. It would help in generating good revenue for your business. When working with multiple vendors, trust the Bahi Khata app from OkCredit to manage all the expenses and send timely reminders for payments.

8. Start Online Delivery of Pickles, Papads, and Snacks

If you are good at making varieties of pickles, papads, and local snacks, consider opening an online store to deliver these to different parts of India. With an online store, you can reach every corner of the country and expand your business all over. The investment is minimal, and you can operate efficiently from the comfort of your home, provided you have the space to store the materials. Work out on the delivery systems, packaging, and management of the website. With proper promotion, you can get a good hit on your website, and deliveries can begin.

9. Start a Food Franchise

Various hotels, pick-up joints or restaurants provide franchise models to grow their business. If you are seriously looking to opt for a franchise business model for your food business ideas, consider looking at the table for the expenses.

Choose a suitable locality as per the franchise or else revenue generation would never reach the break-even point. On top of all expenses, you have to pay a fixed royalty to the franchisee as per the agreement. But if you choose the right franchise at the right location, you can quickly generate good revenue.

When you are running a franchise, you have a good number of staff to handle. Trust OkStaff to maintain the attendance, record any advance taken, calculate their salary based on their attendance, and send alerts on WhatsApp.

Investment Cost and Profit Margin of the Businesses

Conclusion

Working on food business ideas depends on your expertise and interest area. Remember, breaking even takes time, and you have to work through all the difficulties and the challenges to overcome them. The food industry is highly competitive, and you need to be the best to survive in this market.

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FAQs

Q. What should you look at when starting any food business idea?

Ans. You should look at the investment model, the returns, and the model where you can provide your expertise and monetise it.

Q. What is the basic requirement to run an Indian food blog?

Ans. The basic requirement is your understanding of cooking. Choose a niche segment of food preparation. Invest in good recording devices, promotion, and a good set-up where you can shoot your videos.

Q. How lucrative is the food truck business?

Ans. Nobody regulates the food truck business - so it may be risky in some parts, but with the growing rage of food trucks, one can go ahead with it. Take permission from local authorities for a proper license before starting.

Q. What are the basic requirements to look at before going for a franchise model?

Ans. Every franchise model has different requirements. The basics for franchising a food business idea are a substantive investment, good location, and a proper way to market your store for maximum footfalls.

Q. Are there any other food business ideas available with low investment and high returns?

Ans. Apart from those mentioned above, there are other food business ideas, like opening an ice parlour, selling online homemade chocolates, and catering services.