How to Create an Online Store in India

Step 1: Choose how to build it

For most new Indian brands a hosted builder is the right start. Compare the total monthly cost including transaction fees and apps, not just the plan price. See what Shopify costs in India once fees are counted.

Step 2: Get a domain

• Pick a short name that is easy to spell when said aloud. Buyers will type it after hearing it.
• .in and .com both work for Indian stores. Buy both if your name is free, and redirect one to the other.
• Register the domain in your own account, not your developer's.

Step 3: Set up payments

Indian buyers pay mostly by UPI, then cards, wallets and Cash on Delivery. You need a payment gateway that supports UPI.

• Gateways ask for KYC: PAN, bank account, business proof and your website with policy pages live. Apply early, as approval can take days.
• Compare the fee per transaction and how quickly money settles to your bank.
• Make UPI the first option at checkout. Opening PhonePe, Google Pay or Paytm directly is faster than typing card details. See UPI checkout for online stores.

Step 4: Decide your COD policy

Many Indian buyers will not pay upfront to a store they found today, so turning off Cash on Delivery usually costs sales. But COD parcels are refused far more often than prepaid ones, and you pay shipping both ways on each. Plan it before launch:

• Confirm every COD order and address on WhatsApp before you pack. See COD order verification.
• Offer a prepaid discount to move buyers to UPI.
• Set a COD limit for high-value orders or risky PIN codes.

Step 5: Set up shipping

• A shipping aggregator gives you many couriers on one account, label printing, pickups and COD remittance.
• Weigh and measure your packed products. Couriers charge on actual or volumetric weight, whichever is higher.
• Decide free-shipping rules, such as free above a cart value, and include shipping in your margins.
• Publish realistic delivery times by region.

Step 6: GST and legal pages

• GST. Whether you must register depends on GST law, including your turnover, your product category, whether you sell across states and whether you sell through marketplaces. Confirm with a chartered accountant. Once registered, issue a GST invoice with HSN codes and the correct CGST, SGST or IGST split.
• Policy pages. Privacy policy, terms, shipping policy, and refund and return policy. Payment gateways check for these during KYC.
• Contact details. A real phone number, email and address build trust and are expected under Indian consumer protection rules for e-commerce.

Step 7: Add products that sell

• Several photos per product, the first on a plain background.
• Titles that match what people search: material, type and use.
• Size charts, care instructions and delivery time on the product page.
• Real stock counts, so you never sell what you do not have.

Step 8: Get your first orders

• Tell existing customers on WhatsApp and Instagram first. See how to sell on Instagram in India and how to sell on WhatsApp Business.
• Create a Google Business Profile and add your store link.
• Submit your sitemap in Google Search Console so your pages appear in search.
• Start ads small, and judge them on paid, delivered orders, not on orders placed.

Doing this with ARSAVO

ARSAVO is an online store builder made for India: 2-tap UPI checkout, COD orders confirmed on WhatsApp, GST invoices with HSN codes, WhatsApp ordering and one stock count, with 0% commission on sales. ARSAVO opens in private beta in January 2027 for 15 founding merchants, with free migration from Shopify, WooCommerce or Instagram.

Frequently asked questions