A Brief Guide to Selling on Amazon India

Do you live in India? Want to expand your customer base to nearly 100 million buyers? If the answer is yes, then you should consider selling your products on the Amazon.in marketplace.

eCommerce in India is growing at a very fast rate. India has close to 100 million online shoppers. The number of shoppers has increased by 65 million in the past three years. With India having a population of 1.3 billion, the future of eCommerce is expected to bloom tremendously.

As Amazon.in is one of the biggest eCommerce sites in India, selling on the marketplace provides exposure to a majority of online shoppers. In this post, I'll share some tips for getting started.

Know Your Audience

Things to know about Indian shoppers:

1. They trust the Amazon marketplace and the Flipkart marketplace the most.

2. Price matters a lot to them. Even if the difference is $0.05, they will prefer the cheaper one.

3. Their patience level is low; i.e. they expect a fast delivery.

4. They prefer free shipping.

5. They won't hesitate to return a product if they don’t like it (even if it is super cheap).

6. They don’t always know the difference between a product review and seller feedback. Don’t be shocked if you receive a product review in place of seller feedback. (Sign up for FeedbackFive to monitor your feedback.)

Logistics to Consider

Select a niche category or the category in which you have abundant products. I recommend starting with a minimum of ten product listings.

Do you have the appropriate credentials for selling online in India? You'll need a Permanent Account Number (PAN) card, as well as Value Added Tax/Central Sales Tax (VAT/CST) numbers and a Goods and Services Identification Number (GSTIN). You'll also need details for a current bank account.

If you don't already have a PAN card, apply as soon as possible, as it will take about 20 days to be approved. You'll also need to apply for Shop and Establishment registration, or Gumasta. The cost is INR.3500, with a waiting period of about 7-10 days for approval. After receiving your PAN card and Gumasta, you'll want to create a business bank account, then apply for VAT and CST. For a proprietor firm the cost is INR.5,000 +25,000 deposit (refundable after two years). If you are opting for a CA, then they may charge you around INR.10,000.

It will take about two weeks to receive your VAT and CST numbers. After receiving these numbers, migrate them to GSTIN. Due to the new tax reform in India, you can directly opt for the GSTIN number.

How to Get Started Selling on Amazon India

1. Register on the Amazon Seller Central platform.

2. Select the category you want to sell in.

3. Apply for brand registry (legal documentation costs about INR.7,000 - 10,000). If you have legal documentation of your brand, upload it to your Seller Central account. If you don’t have legal documentation, take photographs of your products and packaging with your brand name visible on them. (Confirm this with an Amazon representative first).

4. Take photos of your product(s) in front of a white background.

5. An Amazon representative will help you create your first listings.

6. After that, your products will go live on the Amazon marketplace.

Are you ready to get started with selling your products on the Amazon.in marketplace? I'm happy to help answer your questions; simply comment below.