§1What this business is

The studio does portrait and candid photography, weddings and events, commercial shoots for businesses, wildlife and nature work for tourism, and video. It has a portrait area, a green screen, an editing suite and drones for aerial shots. Clients are local families, tourists, businesses and event organisers.

Capacity: Sales of ₹36.00 lakh a year: portrait and candid 30%, events 25%, cinematography and video 25%, commercial 10%, wildlife and nature 10%.

§2Is it right for you?

Who it is for

A skilled photographer or videographer with a portfolio who can also sell to couples, businesses and tourism firms.

Who it is not for

Someone who is new to cameras and editing, or who cannot work weekends and wedding nights.

Advantages

  • Weddings and events give steady bookings
  • Tourism and adventure sports create demand for content
  • Businesses need product and social media shoots
  • Editing work can be done in the off-season

Drawbacks

  • Costly equipment that dates quickly
  • Many freelancers compete on price
  • Sales in the profile are only a little above break-even
  • Bookings fall in bad weather and off-season

Skills you need

  • Photography and lighting
  • Video shooting and editing
  • Drone operation
  • Client handling and pricing

Why difficulty 3/5: Needs real creative skill, costly gear and constant marketing.

§3Market

Who buys

  • Families and couples (portraits and weddings)
  • Event organisers
  • Hotels, tour operators and local businesses
  • Tourists and adventure-sport operators

How it sells

  • Instagram and YouTube portfolio
  • Tie-ups with wedding planners and venues
  • Commercial contracts with businesses

Good to know

  • The profile names Auli, Chopta, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Jim Corbett, Nainital and Bhimtal as subjects and markets.

§4Raw material & machinery

ItemQtyCost
Cameras and lenses2₹2.00 lakh
Lighting equipment2₹0.40 lakh
Tripods and supports2₹0.20 lakh
Computers for editing2₹14.00 lakh
Editing software1₹0.30 lakh
Studio desks3₹0.30 lakh
Storage cabinets2₹0.30 lakh
Workstations3₹0.30 lakh

From: Uttarakhand DUY project profile — Photo & Videography Studio

  • Props, backdrops, prints and packagingthe profile puts raw materials at ₹14.40 lakh a year

From: Uttarakhand DUY project profile — Photo & Videography Studio

§5Licences & registration

  1. Professional tax registration with the state Commercial Tax Department
  2. DGCA approval and drone registration for aerial shooting
  3. Shop and establishment registration
  4. Udyam registration
  5. GST registration once turnover crosses the limit

We can do this registration for you

§6Schemes & subsidies

At ₹21.30 lakh this is above PMEGP's ₹20 lakh limit for services, so trim the plan or use a bank loan with a CGTMSE guarantee; MUDRA can fund up to ₹20 lakh; Stand-Up India helps SC/ST and women founders.

§7Money

How the investment is worked out: DUY profile total ₹21.30 lakh: equipment ₹17.80 lakh (2 editing computers ₹14.00 lakh, 2 cameras with lenses ₹2.00 lakh, lighting ₹0.40 lakh, tripods ₹0.20 lakh, editing software ₹0.30 lakh, desks, cabinets and workstations ₹0.90 lakh), preliminary ₹0.20 lakh, working capital ₹3.30 lakh. Promoter ₹8.52 lakh, bank ₹12.78 lakh.

Working capital: Working capital ₹3.30 lakh — props, prints, travel to shoots and wages.

Year not printed on the DUY (Devbhoomi Udyamita Yojana) profile — check current prices before you buy.

How to prepare a loan file

§8Export potential

A local service business — not an export business.

§9Risks — where people fail

  • Equipment damage or theft
  • Price competition from freelancers
  • Data loss of client files
  • Drone rule violations

§1030 / 60 / 90-day plan

A general plan that applies to any business. A plan for this business will be added after research.

  1. Days 1–30: Visit a working photography and videography studio unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
  2. Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (Professional tax registration with the state Commercial Tax Department, DGCA approval and drone registration for aerial shooting), a project report (DPR), and the scheme or loan file.
  3. Days 61–90: Space and machines, trial production, and first deliveries to 10 customers.

§11Who to connect with

Not verified yet

Associations, clusters and training institutes — the directory is being built. Connect

§12Watch

There is no episode on this business yet. Shows are coming soon on the Podcast page.

Want to start Photography and Videography Studio?

DPR, loan file or registration — ask us on WhatsApp.

Get a DPR / loan file made

Sources

  1. Uttarakhand DUY project profile — Photo & Videography Studio

Data review: 6 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Report it. For information only — not legal or financial advice.