India's ecommerce market crossed ₹5 lakh crore in 2025 and is projected to triple by 2030. Yet most guides about starting an online store are written for Shopify merchants in the US — they skip GST, ignore COD, and assume everyone uses Stripe. This guide doesn't.
India Ecommerce Market
₹5L Cr+
↑ 28% YoY
UPI Share of Payments
65%
↑ from 48% in 2023
Tier 2/3 City Buyers
71%
of new D2C customers
Step 1: Decide What You're Selling
Before touching a single platform, clarify your product-market fit. The best-performing Indian D2C stores in 2026 fall into three buckets: high-margin branded goods (fashion, beauty, supplements), regionally-authentic products (handlooms, artisan crafts, regional foods), and business supplies (stationery, packaging, tools).
Undersaturated categories win in Tier 2 India
Categories that are oversaturated globally — like candles, phone cases, or basic apparel — often have 5–10 years of real runway in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities where organized ecommerce barely exists. The competition you're benchmarking against is local offline retail, not Amazon.
India Advantage
Categories that are oversaturated globally — like candles or phone cases — often have real runway in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities where organized ecommerce barely exists.
Step 2: Get Your Legal and GST Setup Right
You need a GSTIN before you can sell on most platforms or accept online payments at scale. Registration takes 7–10 working days through the GST portal. You'll need your PAN, Aadhaar, bank account details, and a business address.
GST Registration Checklist
PAN card of the business owner or entity
Aadhaar card for identity verification
Bank account statement or cancelled cheque
Proof of business address (rent agreement or utility bill)
Digital signature certificate (for company/LLP)
MOA/AOA if registering a Private Limited company
- Sole proprietor: No separate registration needed. GST under your PAN.
- Partnership / LLP: Register with MCA first, then GST.
- Private Limited: Recommended for brands expecting VC or large scale.
Don't Skip This
If your annual turnover exceeds ₹20 lakh (₹10 lakh in special category states), GST registration is mandatory. Even below that, voluntary registration unlocks input tax credit — a significant cost advantage.
Step 3: Choose Your Platform
Your platform is your commerce operating system. It affects everything: your checkout experience, theme flexibility, payment gateway options, and how much time you spend on operations vs. growth.
| Platform | Best For | India Payment Support | GST Invoicing |
|---|---|---|---|
| LetBuyy | India-first brands of all sizes | ✓ Native UPI + COD + Razorpay | ✓ Auto-generated |
| Shopify | Global brands with India presence | ✓ Via third-party apps | ⚠ Plugin required |
| Dukaan | Very small / single-SKU sellers | ✓ Basic | ⚠ Limited |
| WooCommerce | Technical teams with custom needs | ✓ Manual setup | ⚠ Plugin required |
Commerce Example
A Jaipur-based kurta brand switched from Shopify to LetBuyy in April 2026. Their checkout had 3 steps instead of 7, UPI worked without a redirect, and GST invoices generated automatically.
Cart completion rate went from 34% to 61% in 60 days. COD orders from Tier 2 cities doubled.
+79% checkout conversionStep 4: Set Up Your Store
On LetBuyy, the onboarding flow walks you through every critical step: store name and domain, theme selection, product upload, payment setup, shipping zones, and GST configuration — in one connected flow.
01
Create your account
Sign up at accounts.letbuyy.com with your business email. Takes under 2 minutes.
02
Name and configure your store
Choose a subdomain (yourstore.letbuyy.com) or connect a custom domain you already own.
03
Select and customize your theme
Pick from 40+ India-ready themes in the marketplace. Mobile-first layouts, fast-loading, conversion-optimized.
04
Upload your first product
Add title, description, price, variants (size/color), and inventory count. Bulk CSV import available.
05
Configure payments
Enable UPI via Razorpay and COD. Both take under 10 minutes to activate. No manual bank integration required.
06
Set up shipping zones and GST
Define rates for local, state, and all-India delivery. Enter your GSTIN once — invoices auto-generate forever.
Step 5: Configure Payments
Indian buyers have strong payment preferences that differ significantly from Western markets. In 2026, UPI accounts for 65% of online transactions, COD remains at 30% for Tier 2+ cities, and cards cover the remainder.
UPI
65%
of online transactions
Cash on Delivery
30%
Tier 2/3 dominant
Cards & Wallets
5%
Metro-heavy
COD Strategy
Don't view COD as a burden — view it as your Tier 2 and Tier 3 city unlock. Brands that disable COD lose up to 40% of addressable revenue in India. Offer it, but set a ₹2,000 order minimum to manage return risk.
Step 6: Sort Your Logistics
Shipping is where most new Indian stores fail silently. Choose a courier partner with strong Tier 2 and Tier 3 coverage — not just metro cities. Look for NDR (non-delivery report) automation, real-time tracking, and RTO (return to origin) rates under 15%.
How to choose the right courier partner for your stage
- Shiprocket: Best aggregator for small volumes (<500 shipments/month)
- Delhivery: Strong for Tier 2/3 coverage, enterprise pricing starts lower
- BlueDart: Premium, metro-heavy, great for high-value goods
- DTDC: Widest PIN code coverage in India
Step 7: Launch and Validate
Don't aim for perfection before launch. Aim for your first 10 orders. Real customer feedback is worth more than any amount of internal testing. Launch to your existing network first — WhatsApp groups, Instagram, college alumni networks — before spending on ads.
Pre-Launch Checklist
Test checkout end-to-end on mobile (iPhone and Android)
Place a real test order with UPI and verify GST invoice
Check that all product images load fast on 4G
Set up WhatsApp Business number for support
Write 5 WhatsApp messages to send to your first potential buyers
Announce on Instagram Story with swipe-up link to store
First 10 Orders Milestone
Getting 10 orders from people who don't know you personally is the single most important validation milestone for any Indian D2C brand. Everything before that is planning. Everything after that is execution.