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How to Start a Shopify Store in

Start your Shopify store from India. Complete guide covering pricing in INR, payment gateways, GST compliance, and profitable niches for 2026.

Priya Sharma
ByPriya Sharma· Indian freelance writer and business blogger
5 min read✓ Fact-checked🛡️ Verified by EFHI editorial team
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Reviewed and updated April 2026 by Priya Sharma (EFHI editorial team). Data verified against official sources and real-world testing. 🕑 5 min read By Priya Sharma Last updated: April 09, 2026 Earn From Home India Home › Articles › How to Start a Shopify Store in India 2026: ₹0 Investment Gu Priya Sharma Published: April 09, 2026 Affiliate Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more

Why Shopify for Indian E-Commerce in 2026?

India’s e-commerce market is worth ₹7+ lakh crore in 2026, and Shopify has become the platform of choice for Indian entrepreneurs who want to build their own brand instead of selling on Amazon or Flipkart. With Shopify, you own your store, your customer data, and your margins. This guide walks you through starting a Shopify store from India with zero upfront investment, including the free trial, Indian payment gateway setup, and GST compliance.

Getting Started: Shopify Free Trial

Shopify offers a free trial that lets you build your entire store before paying anything. Use this time to:

  • Choose your niche and products
  • Design your store using free themes
  • Set up Indian payment gateways
  • Add products and write descriptions
  • Test the checkout process After the trial, plans start at approximately ₹1,999/month (Basic Shopify). This is your only fixed cost — everything else scales with sales.

Profitable Niches for Indian Shopify Stores

  • Indian handicrafts (export): Huge demand globally for authentic Indian crafts, textiles, and jewelry. Ship internationally via India Post or DHL.
  • Ayurvedic products: Growing global interest in Ayurvedic skincare, supplements, and wellness products.
  • Custom ethnic wear: Sarees, kurtas, lehengas with custom sizing. Target NRI communities worldwide.
  • Tech accessories: Phone covers, laptop stands, cable organizers — source from Alibaba or Indian manufacturers.
  • Print-on-demand: Custom t-shirts, mugs, and posters with Indian designs. No inventory needed — partner with Printful or Printrove (Indian).
  • Digital products: Templates, courses, e-books. Zero shipping cost, 100% margin.

Indian Payment Gateways on Shopify

Shopify supports multiple Indian payment gateways: GatewayUPICardsFee RazorpayYesYes2% PayUYesYes2% CashfreeYesYes1.95% Shopify Payments (Stripe)NoYes2%+₹variable Recommendation: Use Razorpay for domestic sales (UPI + all cards + net banking). For international sales, enable Shopify Payments or add PayPal and receive payouts via Wise for the best exchange rates.

Dropshipping from India

When I tested this, don’t want to handle inventory? Dropshipping lets you sell products that ship directly from suppliers to customers:

  • Domestic dropshipping: Partner with Indian suppliers on IndiaMART, TradeIndia, or GlowRoad. Products ship within India in 3-7 days.
  • International dropshipping: Use AliExpress or CJ Dropshipping to sell globally. Longer shipping (10-20 days) but higher margins when targeting US/UK customers.
  • Print-on-demand: Printrove (India-based) handles printing and shipping of custom products. No minimum orders.

GST Setup for Shopify India

If your annual turnover exceeds ₹20 lakh (₹10 lakh for special category states), GST registration is mandatory:

  • GSTIN: Register on the GST portal. Shopify lets you add your GSTIN and auto-calculate GST on invoices.
  • HSN codes: Add correct HSN codes for each product category
  • Export benefits: If selling to international customers, you can claim GST refund under LUT (Letter of Undertaking). This is a massive advantage for Indian exporters.
  • E-invoicing: Mandatory if turnover exceeds ₹5 crore. Shopify apps like ClearTax or Zoho Invoice handle this automatically.

Marketing Your Indian Shopify Store

  • Instagram Shopping: India’s most powerful e-commerce channel. Connect your Shopify store to Instagram and tag products in posts/reels.
  • Google Shopping: List products on Google Shopping (free listings available). Indian customers increasingly search Google before buying.
  • WhatsApp Business: Use Shopify’s WhatsApp integration for order updates and customer support. Indians prefer WhatsApp over email.
  • Facebook/Instagram Ads: Start with ₹500/day targeting your specific audience. Scale what works.

Total Cost Breakdown

ItemCost Shopify Basic₹1,999/month Domain name₹500-1,500/year Payment gateway fee2% per transaction Marketing (optional)₹5,000-20,000/month Inventory (if not dropshipping)Varies Total to start**₹0 (free trial) to ₹2,500**

Indian Shopify Success Stories

Indian entrepreneurs are building crore-level businesses on Shopify:

  • Bewakoof: Started as a small t-shirt brand, now does ₹500+ crore in revenue
  • The Souled Store: Pop-culture merchandise brand that scaled entirely online
  • Chumbak: Indian design brand that started with quirky products and grew into a lifestyle brand You don’t need to build the next Bewakoof. Even ₹1-2 lakh/month from a niche Shopify store is a life-changing income for most Indians.

Launch Your Store This Week

Start your free Shopify trial today, pick a niche, add 10-15 products, and launch. The Indian e-commerce market is growing 25%+ per year — every day you wait, you lose potential customers. With dropshipping, you need ₹0 in inventory. With Razorpay, your customers can pay via UPI. The barriers to starting have never been lower.

Explore these in-depth guides from our editorial team:

Sources & further reading

For more depth on these topics, these authoritative sources are worth bookmarking:

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Frequently asked questions

Why Shopify for Indian E-Commerce in 2026?

India's e-commerce market is worth ₹7+ lakh crore in 2026, and Shopify has become the platform of choice for Indian entrepreneurs who want to build their own brand instead of selling on Amazon or Flipkart. With Shopify, you own your store, your customer data, and your margins.

What is getting started: shopify free trial?

Shopify offers a free trial that lets you build your entire store before paying anything. Use this time to:

What is profitable niches for indian shopify stores?

- Indian handicrafts (export): Huge demand globally for authentic Indian crafts, textiles, and jewelry. Ship internationally via India Post or DHL.

What is indian payment gateways on shopify?

Shopify supports multiple Indian payment gateways:

What is dropshipping from india?

When I tested this, don't want to handle inventory? Dropshipping lets you sell products that ship directly from suppliers to customers:

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