How to Start a Laundry Business in India: Space, Equipment, Staff and Costs

1. Choose a format

There are three common ways to run a laundry business, and they need very different money and space.

• Collection point. A small counter that takes orders and sends the cleaning out. Low cost, but you control neither quality nor turnaround — and your name is on every complaint.
• Studio store. A compact store with its own commercial machines, washing, finishing and handing back on site, usually with doorstep pickup. An AnyDry studio runs in 250–300 sq ft with two or three trained staff.
• Central plant. A large processing unit serving many collection points. High investment, large space, and heavier licensing.

For a first-time owner, the studio format is usually the best balance: you control quality, and the investment stays manageable.

2. Pick the location

Laundry is a habit business, so density matters more than footfall.

• Look for residential density: large societies, gated communities and packed colonies within a short pickup radius.
• Working households — people with office formals and no time — are the core customers.
• Doorstep pickup widens your catchment beyond walk-in distance, so the shop does not need a high-street rent.
• Check water supply and drainage, and that the building can take the electrical load of commercial machines.

3. Equipment

A studio store typically needs:

• A commercial washing machine — buy for reliability and local service support, not just price. AnyDry studios use an imported South Korean commercial machine with a two-year warranty.
• A steam iron table for finishing.
• A voltage stabiliser — power fluctuation is one of the most common reasons commercial machines fail.
• A semi-automatic machine for smaller and delicate loads.
• A spotting kit and cleaning chemicals — AnyDry uses German chemicals — plus packaging.
• Billing and tagging so every garment is traceable to an order.

4. Licences and registrations

Requirements vary by state and city, so confirm with a local chartered accountant, but most stores need:

• GST registration.
• Registration under your state's Shops and Establishments Act.
• A trade licence from the local municipal body.
• Larger processing units may need consent from the State Pollution Control Board for wastewater.
• Udyam (MSME) registration is optional but useful for bank finance.

5. Staff

Two or three people can run a studio: someone on washing, someone on finishing, and someone on the counter and pickups. Training is the hard part — stain chemistry, fabric care, tagging discipline and handling a complaint calmly. Underestimate it and quality will wobble with every staff change.

6. Systems: where most independents fail

Customers forgive a late order once. They do not forgive a lost shirt. Before you open, decide how you will:

• Count and tag every garment with the customer at pickup.
• Track each piece from intake to packing.
• Handle complaints and damage claims.
• Route and time doorstep pickups.

7. Getting customers

A Google Business Profile, WhatsApp updates, society and PG outreach, and steady B2B accounts — salons, PGs, small offices — build the base. Expect seasonality: in AnyDry's network, July to September is the monsoon dip, and November to March is the peak for woollens, coats and weddings.

8. What it costs

Costs depend heavily on the format and the site. For reference, an AnyDry studio is ₹12.97 lakh plus GST paid to AnyDry, covering the setup list above; on top of that, budget for civil and interior work at actuals and roughly three months of working capital.

Build your own brand, or franchise?

Starting alone means building the brand, training, systems, suppliers and marketing yourself, and paying for every mistake while you learn. A franchise gives you those from day one in exchange for a fee and royalty. AnyDry's terms: a one-time franchise fee for lifetime, 8% royalty plus GST only after your store breaks even, no security deposit, an exclusive territory, and 21–30 days from signature to opening. See the franchise terms, or the Gurugram franchise page.