India's e-commerce market is projected to reach $200 billion by 2027. Whether you're a local retailer going online or launching a new direct-to-consumer brand, there has never been a better time to build an e-commerce presence.
This guide covers everything you need to know to get started.
Choosing Your E-commerce Platform
The platform you build on determines your store's capabilities, performance, and scalability. Here are the main options:
Shopify
Best for: Businesses that want to start selling quickly without technical complexity.
- Hosted solution — no server management needed
- Great app ecosystem for extending functionality
- Built-in payment processing (Shopify Payments)
- Monthly subscription: ₹2,000–₹22,000/month
WooCommerce (WordPress)
Best for: Businesses that want more control and already use WordPress.
- Free plugin, but requires hosting and maintenance
- Highly customizable with thousands of extensions
- Can become slow and complex with many plugins
- Total cost: ₹10,000–₹50,000/year including hosting and plugins
Custom-Built (Next.js / React)
Best for: Businesses that need unique experiences, blazing performance, or complex features.
- Complete control over every aspect of the store
- Best possible performance and SEO
- Higher initial investment, lower long-term costs
- Perfect for headless commerce architectures
Payment Integration for Indian E-commerce
Indian customers expect multiple payment options. Your store should support:
- UPI (Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm) — The most popular payment method in India
- Credit/Debit Cards — Still essential for higher-value purchases
- Net Banking — Expected by many customers
- Cash on Delivery (COD) — Still accounts for 50%+ of orders in many categories
- EMI Options — Important for high-ticket items
Popular payment gateways for India: Razorpay, Cashfree, PayU, and PhonePe Payment Gateway. Razorpay is our go-to recommendation for most businesses due to its developer-friendly API and comprehensive feature set.
Essential Features for Your Online Store
- Product catalog with categories, filters, and search
- High-quality product images with zoom capability
- Customer reviews and ratings
- Inventory management that syncs across channels
- Order tracking with automated notifications
- Abandoned cart recovery (email/WhatsApp reminders)
- Mobile-optimized checkout (reduces cart abandonment by up to 35%)
- GST-compliant invoicing
Shipping and Logistics
Shipping can make or break an e-commerce business. Key considerations:
- Shipping aggregators — Services like Shiprocket, Delhivery, and Ecom Express offer competitive rates and pan-India coverage
- Free shipping threshold — Offering free shipping above a certain order value increases average order value
- Same-day/next-day delivery — Partner with hyperlocal delivery services for metro cities
- Returns management — A clear and easy return policy builds customer trust
SEO for E-commerce
E-commerce SEO has its own considerations:
- Unique product descriptions (not copied from manufacturers)
- Proper schema markup for products (price, availability, reviews)
- Optimized category pages targeting group keywords
- Image optimization with descriptive alt text
- Fast page speed (critical for e-commerce conversions)
Budget Planning
A realistic budget for launching an e-commerce store in India:
- Basic store (50-100 products): ₹25,000–₹75,000
- Mid-range store (500+ products): ₹75,000–₹2,00,000
- Enterprise store (custom features): ₹2,00,000+
Plus monthly costs for hosting (₹1,000–₹5,000), payment gateway fees (2-3% per transaction), and marketing.
"The best e-commerce sites don't just sell products — they create experiences that keep customers coming back."
Next Steps
Ready to launch your online store? We specialize in building high-performance e-commerce solutions tailored to the Indian market. From platform selection to payment integration to launch — we handle it all.