Business ideas: investment ₹2–5 lakh

Print prototypes, spare parts, models and custom gifts on desktop 3D printers for students, engineers, shops and small manufacturers.

Cut and assemble aluminium sections and glass into sliding windows, doors and partitions to order, and fix them at customers' sites.

Run a neighbourhood flour mill: grind customers' grain for a fee and sell your own fresh chakki atta to homes and shops.

Offer threading, waxing, facials, hair care and bridal make-up from a small parlour or a room at home. Skill-based, with repeat customers.

Press camphor powder into tablets on a small machine, pack them in pouches and boxes, and sell to pooja shops, kirana stores and wholesalers.

Melt paraffin wax, mould plain and decorative candles on a simple machine and sell to shops, churches, decorators and gift buyers.

Supply and install CCTV cameras and recorders for homes, shops, societies and offices, and earn from equipment margin, labour and maintenance.

Teach school or competitive-exam students in batches from a rented hall or a room at home. Income depends on results and reputation.

Repair laptops and desktops (screens, batteries, keyboards, motherboards, software) from a small shop, and sell parts and accessories.

Run a booking counter and last-mile delivery point for a courier company, earning a commission on bookings and a fee per parcel delivered.

Sell pouch milk, curd, paneer, butter, ghee and ice cream of a dairy brand from a small booth. Small margins on milk, steady daily customers.

Look after infants and young children of working parents through the day in a safe, child-proofed space with trained caregivers.

Blend soda ash, acid slurry and fillers in a ribbon mixer, pack economy washing powder and sell to village shops, laundries and wholesalers.

Press sambrani (loban) cups and dhoop from powder mix on a cavity machine, dry, pack in boxes and sell to pooja shops and wholesalers.

Manage social media, online ads, search ranking and Google listings for local shops, clinics, classes and small brands on a monthly fee.

Sell gift items, toys, showpieces, photo frames, soft toys, greeting cards and personalised gifts from a shop in a market or near a college.

Grind soaked rice and urad dal into fresh idli-dosa batter, pack it in one-kilo pouches and supply homes, shops and eateries daily.

Run a barber shop offering haircuts, shaves, beard styling, hair colour, head massage and facials from a small shop with two chairs.

Repair screens, batteries, charging ports and software faults on phones from a small shop, and sell covers, chargers and other accessories.

Make steamed and dried chowmein and hakka noodles from maida on a simple sheeting and cutting machine for Chinese stalls, hotels and shops.

Press paper plates and donas from laminated paper on small hydraulic machines and sell to caterers, wholesalers and disposable-goods shops.

Treat homes, shops, restaurants and offices for cockroaches, termites, bed bugs, rodents and mosquitoes, on one-time jobs and yearly contracts.

Sell pet food, treats, grooming products, leashes, beds and accessories for dogs, cats, birds and fish from a shop in a residential market.

Dilute phenyl concentrate with water in a mixing tank, bottle it and sell white phenyl and floor cleaner to shops, societies and institutions.

Run a photocopy, printing, scanning, lamination and binding counter near a college, court, office area or government office.

Print logos and designs on T-shirts, bags, cards and packaging with manual screen printing equipment, as job work for local businesses.

Buy used smartphones from individuals and traders, check and clean them, and resell with a short warranty, along with accessories.

Cut soles from rubber or EVA sheets on a small press, fit straps and sell hawai chappals to footwear shops and weekly-market traders.

Stitch blouses, salwar suits, shirts and trousers to measure and do alterations from a small shop or a room at home.

Cook simple home-style meals and deliver them daily to office workers, students and seniors on monthly subscriptions. Low investment, long hours.

Sell holiday and pilgrimage packages, hotel bookings, flight, train and bus tickets, and visa help from a small office or from home.

Service and repair motorcycles and scooters from a roadside workshop: oil change, brakes, clutch, engine work, and spare parts sales.

Build and maintain websites and online stores for local businesses, professionals, schools and small brands, working from home or a small office.