How to launch a D2C store in India in 2026: a step-by-step checklist
A practical checklist for launching a direct-to-consumer store in India, from product and pricing to payments, shipping, legal basics and your first sale.
By Orvexa TeamUpdated 4 min read
- Decide product, price and margin before you touch a website
- Set up payments, shipping and a returns policy before launch day
- Launch small, learn from the first 20 orders, then scale
Launching a D2C store is mostly a sequence of small decisions made in the right order. Skip one early step and you pay for it later in returns, refunds or lost trust. This checklist walks through the order that works for most new Indian brands.
1. Validate the product before you build anything
Sell a few units first, even by hand. Take orders on WhatsApp or Instagram from friends of friends and strangers, and note what they ask. If people ask the same question three times (size, material, delivery time), that question belongs on your product page.
2. Work out your margin
Write down the full cost of one order: product, packaging, shipping both ways, payment fees, and a share of your marketing. If the number that is left is thin, fix pricing or sourcing now. Our guide to pricing products profitably has the maths.
3. Choose your platform
Pick a platform that handles Indian payments (UPI, cards, cash on delivery), GST invoices and shipping integrations without a pile of paid add-ons. Compare the total monthly cost, not just the subscription. We explain how in how to choose an e-commerce platform.
4. Set up the basics
- Store address and domain: start on a free subdomain, then connect your own domain when you are ready (domain basics).
- Products: clear photos, honest descriptions, sizes, prices and stock.
- Payments: UPI, cards and netbanking through a gateway such as Razorpay, plus cash on delivery if your customers expect it.
- Policies: shipping times, returns, privacy and terms. Write them in plain language.
- GST: if you need to register, do it before you collect tax. Ask a chartered accountant, because rules vary by state and by what you sell.
5. Sort out shipping
Choose a courier or an aggregator, agree weight slabs and COD charges, and test a delivery to your own address. Know what happens when a parcel is not delivered and returns to you, because return-to-origin costs add up fast.
6. Test like a customer
Place three real orders: one with UPI, one with a card, one with cash on delivery. Check the confirmation message, the invoice, the tracking link and the refund path. Do this on a phone, because most of your shoppers will.
7. Launch small, then measure
Tell your first 50 people. Watch where they drop off, which questions they ask and how many orders come back. Fix the biggest leak first, then repeat. Our first 100 orders plan shows how.
Common launch mistakes to avoid
- Launching with no margin. Brands often discover after the first month that shipping, returns and payment fees leave almost nothing. Do the maths first.
- Skipping the returns policy. A vague policy creates disputes. A clear one, with a time limit and conditions, protects you and reassures buyers.
- Over-buying stock. Order a small first batch. It is cheaper to reorder a winner than to discount a dud.
- Ignoring mobile. Check every page on a mid-range Android phone on mobile data, not just on your laptop.
- No plan for traffic. A store is not a business until people visit it. Decide before launch which two channels you will try, for example Instagram and WhatsApp groups, and how much time or money each gets.
A realistic first-week timeline
| Day | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Photos, product details, pricing |
| 3 | Payments, shipping, policies |
| 4 | Test orders with UPI, card and COD |
| 5 | Soft launch to friends and family, collect feedback |
| 6 to 7 | Fix issues, then announce publicly |
Related reading
- D2C vs marketplace: where should a new Indian brand sell first?
- What a D2C store really needs on day one (and what can wait)
What to do next
Write your margin on paper, shortlist two platforms and place a test order on each trial. A day of testing now saves weeks of rework.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to launch a D2C store?
A simple store with a handful of products can be live in a few days. Most of the time goes into photos, copy, policies and testing payments and shipping, not into building the website itself.
Do I need GST registration to start?
It depends on your turnover, what you sell, whether you sell across state lines and where you sell. Thresholds and rules differ, so confirm with a chartered accountant before your first sale.
Should I accept cash on delivery?
Many Indian shoppers still prefer it, especially for a brand they have not bought from before. If you offer it, verify orders with an OTP and track returns, because unverified COD orders are where losses concentrate.
Keep reading
D2C vs marketplace: where should a new Indian brand sell first?
Marketplaces bring traffic, your own store brings margin and customer data. Compare fees, control and risks to decide where a new Indian brand should start.
3 min read
What a D2C store really needs on day one (and what can wait)
Avoid over-building. A clear list of what your online store needs to launch, and the features you can add later once you have real customers.
3 min readHow to choose an e-commerce platform for your D2C brand: a decision framework
Use six practical questions to compare e-commerce platforms: total cost, Indian payments, migration, SEO, security and support, before you commit.
3 min read