Quick answer: You can start a tiffin service from home with ₹20,000 to ₹75,000. You need FSSAI Basic Registration (₹100 a year), good containers and a reliable delivery arrangement. A standard veg tiffin costs ₹45–60 to make and sells for ₹90–130, or ₹2,500–₹3,800 a month per customer. With 30 regular customers you can earn ₹40,000 to ₹70,000 a month.
A tiffin service is one of the easiest food businesses to start: you use your home kitchen, customers subscribe monthly, and you cook to known numbers so wastage is low. Students, working professionals and elderly people living alone are your main customers.
Startup cost
| Item | Low (₹) | High (₹) |
|---|---|---|
| Insulated tiffin boxes (30–50 sets) | 6,000 | 20,000 |
| Large cooking vessels, pressure cookers | 5,000 | 15,000 |
| Extra gas cylinder / induction | 2,000 | 6,000 |
| Refrigerator space / small freezer | 0 | 15,000 |
| FSSAI registration | 100 | 500 |
| Pamphlets, WhatsApp catalogue, photos | 1,000 | 5,000 |
| First month’s groceries | 6,000 | 12,000 |
| Delivery (bicycle/EV or delivery partner deposit) | 0 | 5,000 |
| Total | ≈ 20,000 | ≈ 78,500 |
Plan your menu
Keep a weekly rotating menu so customers don’t get bored and you can buy in bulk:
- 2 sabzi (one dry, one gravy), dal, rice, 4 rotis, salad/pickle
- One special day a week (e.g. rajma-chawal Wednesday, paneer Sunday)
- Offer two plans: Mini (3 roti + 1 sabzi + dal + rice) and Full
Per-meal costing
Standard veg full tiffin
Cost per meal
- 4 rotis (atta, oil)
- 6
- Dal (100 g raw)
- 12
- Rice (100 g raw)
- 6
- Two sabzis
- 16
- Salad, pickle, papad
- 4
- Gas, spices, oil
- 5
- Delivery cost share
- 8
Sell at ₹110 per meal or ₹2,900 a month (26 meals) and the margin is about ₹53 a meal. See how to price your menu for the method.
Pricing your monthly plans
| Plan | Per meal | Monthly (26 meals, lunch or dinner) |
|---|---|---|
| Mini veg | ₹80–100 | ₹2,000 – ₹2,500 |
| Full veg | ₹100–130 | ₹2,500 – ₹3,300 |
| Full non-veg (3 days a week) | ₹130–160 | ₹3,300 – ₹4,000 |
Take monthly payment in advance (UPI) and allow 2–3 “skip days” a month with notice. Advance payment is what makes a tiffin service cash-positive.
Get your first 20 customers
- Free trial meals for neighbours, a local PG or hostel, and nearby offices.
- Google Business Profile listing as “Home tiffin service in [area]”. Ask every customer for a review.
- Housing society and office WhatsApp groups: share the weekly menu every Sunday evening.
- List on Swiggy/Zomato later if you have capacity; the margin is lower but it brings new customers.
- Tie up with PG owners and coaching centres for bulk monthly orders.
Licence and legal
- FSSAI Basic Registration at your home address (turnover up to ₹1.5 crore). See the FSSAI guide.
- Check your housing society rules on commercial activity.
- GST isn’t needed until turnover crosses ₹20 lakh. See GST for food businesses.
Money tip
FAQ
Can I start a tiffin service without a licence? No. FSSAI Basic Registration is mandatory even from home, and costs just ₹100 a year.
How many customers do I need to make a profit? With ₹50 margin per meal, 30 customers on lunch only give about ₹39,000 a month; add dinner and it roughly doubles.
How do I deliver tiffins? Deliver yourself within 2–3 km, hire a part-time delivery person, or use a local delivery service for longer distances.
Should I offer non-veg? Only if your customers ask for it; it raises cost and storage risk. Many successful services stay pure veg.
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