A daycare is the simpler start: most states ask only for a shop or trade registration, so the standard to build to is the Ministry of Women and Child Development's national creche guidelines, which set up to 30 children a unit, one adult for every 10 children under 3 and every 20 aged 3 to 6 plus a helper, 10 to 12 sq ft per child, a ground-floor space, and police verification of guards. The steadiest customers are employers: the 2017 Maternity Benefit amendment made a creche mandatory for any establishment with 50 or more employees, within 500 metres of the workplace, so a daycare near offices can sell seats to companies. A preschool adds teaching: base it on NCERT's National Curriculum Framework for the Foundational Stage (ages 3 to 8) and check your state's rules, since some states require preschools to register with the education department. One safety incident ends most, so hire, verify and train staff before you enrol a child.
The Ministry of Women and Child Development's standard for a creche, issued in 2018 under the Maternity Benefit Act (this copy is hosted by the Association of Indian Universities): up to 30 children a unit, one adult for every 10 children under 3 and every 20 aged 3 to 6 plus a helper, 10 to 12 sq ft per child, ground floor preferred, police verification of guards.
A law firm's summary of why employers need creches: the 2017 amendment to the Maternity Benefit Act made a creche mandatory for any establishment employing 50 or more people, at or within 500 metres of the workplace, which is the demand a corporate daycare sells to.
The government's only portal for registering a micro, small or medium enterprise. It states registration is free and lists the revised limits: a micro enterprise has investment up to ₹2.5 crore and turnover up to ₹10 crore, a small one up to ₹25 crore and ₹100 crore.
