Whether you want to sell on Amazon, your own website, or Instagram — this guide walks you through every option and how to choose the right one for your business.
Choosing Your Sales Channel: Marketplace vs Own Website
The first decision for any new online seller in India is: sell on a marketplace (Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho, Myntra) or build your own website? Both are valid — but they serve different goals and have different economics.
Marketplaces like Amazon and Flipkart give you immediate access to millions of buyers, handle payment processing and returns, and provide logistics infrastructure. The trade-off: you pay selling fees (typically 5-30% of sale price depending on category), you have no direct customer relationship, you compete on the same page with dozens of similar products, and you are completely dependent on the marketplace's rules and algorithms.
Your own website gives you full control, lower transaction costs (2-3% payment gateway fees instead of 15-25% marketplace fees), and a direct customer relationship you can market to repeatedly. The trade-off: you must drive your own traffic (no built-in audience), you handle payments and shipping arrangements, and you need technical setup.
The practical answer for most beginners: start on a marketplace to validate product demand and generate initial revenue, then build your own website as a second channel once you understand what sells and at what price.
Setting Up as a Marketplace Seller
Amazon India Seller Central: go to sell.amazon.in, click 'Start Selling', and complete the registration with your GST number, PAN, bank account, and phone number. You will need to verify your business details and bank account (Amazon sends a test deposit of ₹1). Once approved (typically 1-5 days), you can create product listings via Seller Central.
Flipkart Seller Hub: similar process at seller.flipkart.com. Required: GST certificate, PAN, bank account, and email. Flipkart also requires a pickup address (where the courier will collect your orders). Category approval is required for certain categories (electronics, beauty, etc.) — documentation of brand ownership or reseller agreements may be needed.
For handmade, artisanal, or unique products, consider Meesho (social commerce, smaller products), Etsy India (craft and vintage items), and Amazon Handmade. For fashion, Myntra has a more selective seller approval process but offers access to a fashion-focused audience.
Building Your Own Online Store
For a no-code or low-code approach, Shopify (₹1,500-₹4,000/month), WooCommerce on WordPress (hosting + domain ≈ ₹500-₹1,500/month), and Dukaan (Indian, starting ₹599/month) are the most popular platforms for Indian sellers. Shopify is the easiest and most feature-complete; WooCommerce offers the most flexibility at lower cost; Dukaan is the fastest to set up for basic Indian businesses.
Essential integrations: payment gateway (Razorpay, PayU, or CCAvenue — all support UPI, credit cards, debit cards, and net banking), shipping aggregator (Shiprocket, Delhivery, or ClickPost for multi-carrier rate comparison), and GST integration (most platforms support GST-compliant invoice generation).
Your website gives you the ability to: capture customer email and phone numbers for repeat marketing, run loyalty programs, offer exclusive products not available on marketplaces, and avoid the price competition pressure of marketplace listing pages. Building this direct relationship is worth the additional effort over time.
Your First Month as an Online Seller
Month 1 focus: list 10-20 products with excellent photos and descriptions, fulfil every order perfectly (speed and packaging quality determine your early reviews), gather 10+ genuine reviews on whichever platform you are selling on, and track your per-unit economics (selling price minus COGS, marketplace fees, packaging, and shipping) to ensure you are actually making money on each sale.
Product photography is non-negotiable. Blurry, dark, or single-angle photos are the number one reason for poor conversion on any platform. Use a white background for product shots (a simple white card from any stationery store works), natural light from a window, and photograph from 3-4 angles. Include a lifestyle photo showing the product in use.
Pricing strategy for marketplace launch: check the prices of the top 10 competing products in your category. Set your initial price at the lower end to build reviews volume. Once you have 20+ positive reviews and a seller rating above 4.5, you can test price increases.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a GST number to sell online in India?
Yes. Both Amazon India and Flipkart require a GSTIN for all sellers. Even if your annual turnover is below the GST threshold (₹40 lakh for goods, ₹20 lakh for services), selling on e-commerce platforms is an inter-state supply which requires mandatory GST registration regardless of turnover. For selling on your own website, GST registration is required once you cross the threshold or make inter-state supplies.
How do I handle shipping as a new online seller?
For marketplace sellers, both Amazon FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon) and Flipkart FBF (Fulfilled by Flipkart) handle storage, packing, and shipping for you — at a fee. This is the recommended option for most new sellers as it reduces operational complexity and often improves delivery speed and customer experience. For self-fulfilled orders (both marketplace and own website), use shipping aggregators like Shiprocket or Pickrr to compare courier rates across Delhivery, Blue Dart, DTDC, and others and book at volume rates.
What category should I sell in as a new e-commerce seller?
The most beginner-friendly categories for Indian e-commerce sellers are: home and kitchen products (high demand, low return rates, easy to photograph), books and stationery (simple to pack and ship, low damage risk), health and wellness products (high margins if you have an exclusive supplier), and handmade crafts (lower competition, emotionally engaged buyers). Avoid electronics, fashion, and beauty as a beginner — high return rates, strict compliance requirements, and intense price competition make them challenging for new sellers.