1. Decide exactly what your price includes

Before asking “How much should I charge for a tiffin?”, write one offer that a customer can understand. For example: one vegetarian lunch, four rotis, dal, a seasonal vegetable and rice, delivered to one office cluster between 12 and 1 pm. State the portion size, ordering deadline and days you serve.

Separate pickup from delivery if they cost different amounts. Decide whether the customer returns a reusable box, pays a refundable deposit or receives disposable packaging. A refundable deposit is money you may need to give back; do not treat it as meal income.

Keep the first menu short. Every extra menu choice can add ingredients, preparation time and leftover stock. You can add options after you know what people reorder.

2. Measure the variable cost of one meal

Cook a measured trial batch and record what you actually use. If ingredients for 20 usable meals cost ₹680, the ingredient cost is ₹680 ÷ 20 = ₹34 per meal. Count usable portions, including the amount you serve, rather than dividing by how many meals you hoped to make.

These are teaching numbers, not supplier quotes or typical Indian prices. Replace every row with your local cost. If delivery costs ₹70 for just five meals, that delivery cost is ₹14 per meal, not ₹7. Include payment or platform fees if you use a service that charges them.

A waste allowance is a planning buffer. After a trial, compare it with actual losses so you do not count the same wasted ingredients twice.

3. Include monthly expenses and your own time

Some expenses continue even on a quiet day. List the monthly share of kitchen space, equipment upkeep, phone costs and cleaning supplies that belongs to this business. Add any actual rent, paid help and other commitments your setup needs.

For this example, assume ₹3,000 in monthly overhead and a ₹12,500 monthly allowance for the owner’s work. That is a planning allowance, not a rule about salary or tax treatment. The total to recover is ₹15,500 a month.

At 20 meals a day for 25 working days, you sell 500 meals. Your share of overhead and owner pay is ₹15,500 ÷ 500 = ₹31 per meal. Add the ₹52 variable cost: ₹83 per meal is the planning cost at this volume.

This calculation excludes one-time setup spending, loan interest and taxes. If these apply, account for them separately before deciding that the price is sufficient. Also count the owner’s shopping, cooking, cleaning, packing and customer-service hours; a business that leaves no time to rest needs a different plan.

4. Test a selling price and your break-even point

Suppose you test ₹95 per meal. The amount left after the variable cost is ₹95 − ₹52 = ₹43. This is called contribution: it helps pay overhead and the owner-pay allowance. It is not the profit from each meal.

The surplus is before the excluded setup costs, finance costs and taxes. It is an illustration, not an earnings forecast.

To cover the example’s ₹15,500 monthly allowance, divide it by ₹43 contribution: ₹15,500 ÷ ₹43 = 360.47. Round up to 361 meals a month. Over 25 working days, that is about 15 meals a day. You still need cash for purchases before customers pay.

The table assumes costs stay the same at each volume. In practice, small batches and scattered deliveries can raise the cost per meal. Recalculate when the menu, route, supplier price or order count changes.

5. Price monthly plans without hiding a loss

A monthly subscription should say exactly how many meals it covers. At ₹95, a 22-meal plan is ₹2,090 before any discount. Do not call it “one month” without stating working days, holidays, delivery and how skipped meals are handled.

Offer a discount only when you can name the saving behind it, such as a predictable batch size or one shared delivery stop. If a discount takes your price below full cost, more orders can mean more work with less money left.

• Write the order cutoff and cancellation rules before taking payment.
• Explain refunds or credits for missed meals and your own cancellations.
• Separate refundable container deposits from meal charges.
• Keep enough cash to honour refunds and buy the next batch.

For a new service, a short paid trial can be easier for both sides than a large advance commitment.

6. Find the first customers in one small area

Choose one reachable group: a nearby office, a student building or a cluster of shops. With permission from the person managing the premises or group, speak to people who already buy lunch. Ask what they paid last week, what they disliked and when they need it delivered.

Use a clear invitation: “I’m testing a vegetarian lunch on Tuesday and Thursday for this building. It includes four rotis, dal, a vegetable and rice. The trial price is ₹95 including delivery. Would you like the menu and ordering details?” Only follow up with people who agree.

Track enquiries, paid trial orders, on-time deliveries and repeat orders separately. A friendly “nice idea” is different from an order. Ask customers who do not reorder what stopped them: taste, portion, timing, price or menu variety. Change one thing at a time.

For a fuller plan, follow our seven-day business validation guide.

7. Check food-business requirements before selling

A home kitchen is not a reason to assume food-business requirements do not apply. FSSAI’s official licensing guidance explains the licensing and registration framework for food businesses. Use the official FoSCoS portal to check the category and requirements that apply to your activity and premises, and apply before starting sales as required.

Check local premises permissions, safe preparation and storage, and your applicable tax obligations with the relevant authority or a qualified adviser. This article does not set a registration threshold or tell you which licence your particular setup needs.

When describing meals, be clear about ingredients and any allergy-related limitations. Do not promise “allergen-free” preparation unless your processes can support that claim.

Your next step: fill one page with your numbers

1. Write the exact meal, portion, delivery area and serving days.
2. Measure a batch and divide its actual costs by usable meals.
3. Add packaging, delivery, fees and a realistic waste allowance.
4. List monthly overhead and an allowance for your own work.
5. Check the price at a quiet, expected and busy order volume.
6. Confirm the applicable requirements before selling.
7. Run a manageable paid trial and review costs and reorders.

Need help thinking through the wider setup? Read the food-business guide or check your business idea with NayaRaasta. Bring your own quotes and trial results into the decision.