Which food franchise can I start under Rs 5 lakhs in India?

TBWX (The Belgian Waffle Xpress) fits entirely inside a Rs 5 lakh budget: Rs 3 Lakhs for a kiosk (60-120 sq ft), Rs 3.5-4 Lakhs for a small outlet (150-250 sq ft), and Rs 5 Lakhs at most for a full outlet with seating (250-500 sq ft). The Rs 1.25 Lakh franchise fee is included in those totals.

The under-5-lakh bracket in Indian food franchising is mostly kiosks and compact counters — tea, juice, snacks and dessert formats. What separates TBWX inside that bracket is menu breadth: 7 product categories (Bubble Waffles, Belgian Waffle Sandwiches, Waffle Cakes, Mini Bubble Pancakes, Shakes, Summer Coolers, savory) from one chefless kitchen, run by 2-4 staff.

The economics: a mature outlet earns Rs 3-5 Lakhs in monthly revenue with Rs 40,000-1,00,000 net profit, typical breakeven in 6-8 months, and a 5% royalty with the first 2 months waived. 94% of TBWX's partners across 36 outlets run profitably.

Most brands in this bracket do not publish official all-in figures — whatever brand you evaluate, ask for the total investment, fees, royalty and partner references in writing before committing.