Business ideas: investment ₹5–10 lakh

Make raw agarbatti on automatic machines from premix powder and bamboo sticks; sell raw sticks to perfumers or scent and pack your own brand.

Grind chana dal into besan on a small plant and sell in bulk bags to namkeen makers, sweet shops, caterers and kirana wholesalers.

Wash cars and bikes with a pressure washer and foam, clean interiors, and add polishing and coating services from a roadside bay.

Cook and serve food for weddings, functions, corporate events and religious gatherings on a per-plate rate with your own team and equipment.

Make groundnut, sesame and dry-fruit chikki from roasted nuts and jaggery syrup, cut into bars and sell packed to shops and travellers.

Run a delivery-only kitchen with no dining area, taking orders through food apps and direct WhatsApp orders. Low rent, high app commission.

Press fallen areca palm leaf sheaths into sturdy, compostable plates and bowls with heated dies and sell to caterers, traders and exporters.

Teach learners to drive a car in a dual-control vehicle and help them through the licence process, with a transport department licence.

Sell wires, cables, switches, LED lights, fans, MCBs and fittings to electricians, contractors and households from a market shop.

Sell shoes, sandals, chappals and school shoes for men, women and children from a market shop. Good margins, slow-moving stock.

Roll and roast thin wheat khakhra in plain, methi, jeera and masala flavours and sell packed to shops, sweet marts and online buyers.

Run a neighbourhood grocery shop selling staples, packaged food, dairy and household goods. Steady daily sales, thin margins, long hours.

Wash, dry and steam-press clothes by the kilo for households, hostels and small hotels, with pick-up and delivery in a small area.

Clean, grind and pack turmeric, chilli, coriander and blended masala with a pulverizer, and sell to kirana shops, hotels and caterers.

Open a licensed retail chemist shop selling prescription and over-the-counter medicines, with a registered pharmacist on the premises.

Fry and pack sev, gathiya, chivda and mixture with an extruder and a fryer, and sell to shops, tea stalls and caterers in your area.

Press groundnut, sesame, mustard or coconut oil in a wooden ghani in front of customers and sell it at a premium over refined oil.

Make urad dal papad with a small machine and a few workers, and sell to kirana shops and wholesalers. Low investment, steady year-round demand.

Form tea and coffee cups from printed PE-coated paper blanks on an automatic machine and sell by the thousand to tea stalls and wholesalers.

Shoot weddings, pre-wedding sessions, functions and portraits with your own cameras, edit the photos and films, and deliver albums.

Make mango, lime, chilli and mixed pickles in season, cure them in drums and sell in jars and pouches to shops, caterers and direct customers.

Peel, slice, fry and season potato wafers in a small unit and sell fresh local chips to shops, bakeries and your own counter.

Bake sweet bread loaves, slice them and bake again into crisp rusk, then pack and sell to tea stalls, shops and wholesalers.

Design, supply and install rooftop solar systems for homes, shops and small factories, and handle the net-meter and subsidy paperwork.

Convert tissue jumbo rolls into folded, embossed paper napkins on an automatic machine and sell in packs of 100 to hotels, caterers and shops.