This business plan template gives you a ready format that works for a small Indian business, whether it is a home kitchen, a shop or a service. Fill each box below in your own words, then download the plan as a Word file. You can print it, send it to a bank or simply keep it as your own guide.
Why a small business needs a business plan
A business plan is not only for big companies or for getting a loan. It is a written check that your idea makes sense. When you write down who will buy, at what price and what it costs you, weak spots show up early. It is much cheaper to find a mistake on paper than after you have paid rent and bought stock.
Banks also ask for a plan, often called a project report, when you apply for a business loan or a scheme such as Mudra or PMEGP. A clear plan shows that you have thought about repayment. Read more in our guide to government loan schemes for business.
Business plan format: every section explained
Below is each section of the business plan format, what to write in it, and a short filled example. The example is for an imaginary home bakery called Crumb and Co., run by a woman from her home in Indore. All numbers are examples with stated assumptions, not a promise of what any bakery will earn.
1. Summary
Write this last, but place it first. In five or six lines, say what the business is, who it serves, how it earns, how much money it needs and what you want from the reader.
Example: Crumb and Co. is a home bakery in Indore that makes eggless cakes, cookies and brownies to order. Customers are families in nearby housing societies and small offices that order for birthdays and festivals. Orders come through a chat app and a food delivery app. The owner needs about ₹65,000 to start, all from her own savings.
2. Business description
Say what kind of business it is, where it runs from, who owns it and its legal form, such as sole proprietor or partnership. Mention the registrations you have or will get.
Example: Sole proprietorship run from the owner's kitchen. FSSAI registration before the first sale. Udyam registration in the first month. GST registration is not planned at the start, as expected sales are well below the limit, but the owner will check again before selling through apps.
3. Products and services
List what you sell and your prices. Say what is different about you in plain words.
Example: Eggless cakes from ₹550 for half a kilo, cookie boxes at ₹300, brownie boxes at ₹350. Everything is baked fresh on the day of delivery. Less sugar options on request.
4. Market and customers
Describe your buyer. Where do they live, what do they earn, why do they buy, how often? Give rough numbers if you can.
Example: About 2,500 homes in five nearby societies within 4 km. Many families prefer eggless baking. Each home has three or four birthdays a year, plus festivals.
5. Competition
Describe the kinds of competitors, not to criticise them, but to show you know the market. Say why a buyer would pick you.
Example: Two bakery shops nearby and many home bakers online. The shops have fixed designs. Crumb and Co. offers custom designs, fully eggless baking and delivery within 5 km.
6. Marketing and sales plan
How will people hear about you, and how will they order and pay?
Example: Free tasting boxes for 20 families in the first week. Photos of every cake on a social media page. A 10 percent discount on repeat orders. Payment by UPI before baking.
7. Operations plan
Explain how the work gets done each day: hours, equipment, suppliers, delivery and quality checks.
Example: Orders close 24 hours before delivery. Raw material is bought twice a week from a wholesale market. The owner's brother delivers nearby orders on a scooter, and a delivery app handles the rest.
8. Team
Who runs the business and what skills do they bring? Add any helpers or advisers.
Example: The owner has done a three month baking course and has baked for family events for two years. One part time helper packs orders during festivals.
9. Financial plan
This is the heart of the plan. Show start up costs, monthly costs, expected sales and the break even point, which is the level of sales at which you stop losing money.
| Start up item (example) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Oven, mixer and tools | ₹38,000 |
| Tins, trays and moulds | ₹9,000 |
| Packaging and first raw material | ₹10,000 |
| Registration, photos and printing | ₹8,000 |
| Total start up cost | ₹65,000 |
Example break even: Monthly fixed costs (extra gas, electricity, phone and the helper) are about ₹9,000. Assume an average order of ₹600, with material and packaging at 45 percent of the price. Each order then leaves about ₹330. So the bakery needs about 28 orders a month just to cover its fixed costs. Orders beyond that start adding to profit.
10. Funding needed
Say how much money you need, where it will come from and how you will repay any loan.
Example: ₹65,000 from personal savings. No loan in the first year. A small loan may be considered for a bigger oven once orders cross 80 a month.
11. Risks and plan B
Every business has risks. Writing them down shows maturity and helps you prepare.
Example: Orders may fall in the rainy months, so the bakery will offer cookie gift boxes to offices. A spare small oven is kept in case the main one breaks. Prices are reviewed every three months as butter and sugar prices change.
12. Appendix
Attach copies of registrations, quotations for equipment, price lists, product photos and bank statements if a lender asks for them.
Tips to make your business plan stronger
- Keep it short. For a small business, 5 to 10 pages is enough. A clear 6 page plan beats a confusing 40 page one.
- Use real numbers. Call three suppliers for prices. Ask two shop owners what rent and electricity really cost.
- Be careful with sales. New founders often guess sales too high. Make a careful case and a bad case, not just a good case.
- Pay yourself on paper. If your home needs ₹15,000 a month from the business, show it as a cost.
- Update it. Look at your plan every three months and change it as you learn.
Want a full worked example for a different business, with tables for every number? Read how to write a business plan. For a faster one page view of your idea, try the business model canvas.
Questions people ask
What is the best business plan format for a small business in India?
A simple format with summary, business description, products, market, competition, marketing, operations, team, financial plan, funding needed and risks works for most small businesses. Banks look most closely at the costs, sales forecast and repayment plan.
Can I download this business plan template?
Yes. Fill in the sections in the tool on this page and download your plan as a Word file. You can then edit it further and print it.
How long should a business plan be?
For a small shop or home business, 5 to 10 pages is usually enough. If you are applying for a larger loan, the bank may want more detail on costs, machinery quotations and projected accounts.
Is a business plan the same as a project report?
They are close. Project report is the term banks often use for a business plan with detailed costs, the loan amount and repayment estimates. You can build a project report by adding those numbers to your business plan.
Do I need a chartered accountant to make a business plan?
Not for a small business plan. You can write it yourself using this template. For a larger loan, a chartered accountant can help prepare the projected financial statements that banks may ask for.