Business Ideas to Start on Highways [Roadside Businesses]

Families, friends, and couples all love long road trips to spend time together and create memorable experiences. In India, people prefer road trips over any other transportation options, especially the age group between 25 and 35 years who prefer long road trips to experience the joy of life. This number is expected to grow by 15% annually. India has over 200 national highways, which constitute around 2.7% of India's road network and cumulatively cover a distance of over 100000 km.

Anyone who opts for a road trip is expected to pass through at least one highway, so starting a small-scale business on the highways to serve these travelers is a profitable, scalable, and best business to start. This article highlights the various small business ideas and unique business ideas to start near a highway. It also provides tips and tricks to expand these small profitable business ideas near highways.

What are the benefits of starting business ideas near highways?

India has a vast network of highways that travellers often use during road trips. The number of people preferring road trips over any other transportation means is increasing every year, making a highway business the best business to start with little money. The following are the benefits of starting business ideas near highways:

• These businesses require very little investment to start.
• Demand is continuous as people would never stop using national highways for road trips.
• These are the best business ideas as chances of growth are enormous, and the amount of profits is also very high.

Starting business ideas near a highway requires various government approvals and other important steps, so let's talk about the various steps to start a business idea near a highway:

• Decide the concept of your business
• Decide the size of your business
• Evaluate the cost involved
• Start to look for the best highway location that will suit the idea of the business.
• Get all the licenses required to start the business like GST registration, business registration, various NOCs, trade license etc. It is also advisable to be ready with all the required documents for registration of business and other government approvals.
• Arrange the vendors and suppliers of raw material.

Now, we know various benefits and steps to start a small business idea near the highway. Let us talk about various unique business ideas and best business ideas to start near highways along with tips and tricks to manage these businesses.

1. Dhaba Business

Starting a Dhaba to become a part of the huge Indian food market will experience rapid growth and low risk. Dhaba Business is not amongst new business ideas, but it will become more creative, profitable, and professional over time. The growth of the Dhaba business varies and depends on the wishes of the owner, which makes it very flexible in terms of investment, management, and operations. If this business is undertaken with proper research and planning, this is no doubt one of the best small profitable business ideas to start near a highway.

Tips:

• Take necessary approvals from government agencies before starting a Dhaba near the highway. There are few approvals that you must need: FSSAI approval, approval from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), and many more. Consult a legal advisor to get information about various approvals required.
• Arrange the vendors and suppliers of various raw materials who can provide you with raw materials at a cheaper rate and enable continuous functioning of your Dhaba.
• Create a unique theme for your Dhaba as people love exploring new food places and trying to provide different cuisines for customers to choose from.

Must Read: How To Open A Dhaba?

2. Petrol Pump Business

Petrol pump business is undoubtedly the leading business idea globally, and highways are the best place to start a petrol pump because of the never-ending demand for vehicles. Though starting a petrol pump business requires enormous approvals and paperwork, all the energy spent on getting these approvals is worth it as the business helps you earn huge amounts of profits in very little time.

It is always better to buy a franchise of any leading petroleum company like HPCL, Indian Oil, Reliance petroleum, BPCL, etc., as travellers prefer buying petroleum from these top companies. Investment required to start a petrol pump business depends upon the locality, size of the station, and franchise fees. It is the leading business globally and the best business idea to start near highways if you have enough investment.

Tips:

• Do make sure to complete all necessary government formalities to protect your business from any legal pitfalls.
• Petrol pump business requires higher investment than other businesses, so it is very important to conduct thorough research and have a proper business plan before entering into this business.
• If you are purchasing a franchise, make sure you complete all the required paperwork and clearly understand the profit-sharing details.
• The government has specified eligibility criteria to start a petrol pump, so make sure you meet the eligibility criteria, including age criteria, education qualifications, minimum investment amount, etc.

Also Read: How to Start a Petrol Pump Dealership in India?

3. Auto Repair Business

The automotive industry is one of India's leading industries with high growth chances in the future. As the automotive industry grows, the demand for auto repair shops and garages also increases. Most highways do not have any auto repair shops, making it difficult for vehicles to get immediate repairs. Car breakdown is a very common thing on highways as cars move at a very fast pace, so this business has a lot of growth opportunities and is no doubt one of the best small profitable business ideas to start near highways.

Tips:

• You can apply for a repair franchise to provide customers with high-quality services.
• You should try opening your repair shop near a petrol pump as it increases the chances of getting more customers.
• Try keeping spare parts of various vehicles to provide customers with immediate repairs, if needed.
• Hire some professional mechanics who are experienced in this field to provide good quality services.

Further Read: How to Start a Car Repair Shop?

Conclusion

There are many businesses that you can start on a highway in India, and those mentioned above are some of the best businesses to start. Every business requires different amounts of capital investment and legal formalities, so formulate a proper business plan before starting the business. Consider a business that matches your hobby to provide customers with high-quality products and services. If you have an investment problem, you can start your business on a small scale before expanding it.

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FAQs on Highway Business Ideas

Q. What is the minimum capital investment required to start a petrol pump business on a highway in India?

Ans. The minimum capital investment required to start a petrol pump business on a highway in India is around 20 lakhs. Still, the amount may vary depending upon the conditions of the franchisor and the size of the business.

Q. Is Dhaba business considered a good small profitable business idea to start on a highway in India?

Ans. If a Dhaba business is properly managed, it will be a very profitable business as it requires low inventory costs and offers a high return on investment. As Dhaba business provides services to many customers in a short period of time, its turnover is high.

Q. Which is the best petroleum franchisor for my business?

Ans. There are many good companies that offer their franchise to small businesses. In the petrol pump business, Indian Oil and HPCL are often everyone's first choices. Reliance Industries, Bharat petroleum, and Hindustan petroleum are few franchises that offer a lot of benefits.

Q. What is the best business idea to start on a highway in India?

Ans. Petrol pump business, Dhaba business, and auto repair business are few businesses that enjoy never-ending demand. Out of these, you should select a business, keeping in mind the investment you can make. If you make a huge investment, then no doubt the petrol pump business is the best business idea to start on a highway in India.