Online shopping statistics in India indicate a growth of $99 billion by the year 2024, especially after Amazon India invested $95 million in Amazon Pay in its payment unit.
Indeed, selling on such a huge marketplace can pave a successful path for your business. Over 4100 people are already listed as crorepati sellers on Amazon. If you want to be the next, let us learn how to set up an e-commerce business on Amazon India. Before that let us know why Amazon is a great place for a business to start.
Why Should You Be A Seller On Amazon?
While Amazon shares a major part of Indian e-commerce, this is not just the only reason why you should choose it as a seller. Here are some more interesting benefits to check out:
- Amazon’s Affiliate Program: Amazon affiliates link any product on Amazon to their own site, which gives you the advantage of an affiliate program without any extra cost and the effort required in the process.
- Delivery to Any Corner of India: Amazon can deliver your products to 100% of India’s active pin codes under Easy Ship & Fulfillment program.
- Professional Support: Amazon has impaneled third-party professionals for those who want support for product photography, account management, or similar business requirements.
- Global Customers: If you sign up for Amazon Global Selling, you can increase your reach to customers in up to 200+ countries.
- Back-End Support: As a seller, you don’t have to look after additional business tasks, such as tracking inventory, processing credit cards, and collecting sales tax.
- Free Shipping: A customer who avails Amazon Prime, gets the benefit of free 2-days shipping. Any Prime customer becomes yours as well who can avail the benefit of free shipping, which helps you improve your business image.
- Shipping and Returns: From packaging to shipping, and return, Amazon takes care of everything. All you have to do is, send the item to Amazon. If the package is returned, it goes back to the Amazon fulfillment center where the product goes through inspection to check if the item is sellable again.
Related: Amazon Offices in India
What Are The Details And Documents Required For Registration?
To sell on Amazon you need to register yourself, but before that, you need to have the required details and documents.
Here is what you should have if you are an individual or sole proprietor:
- Active Mobile Number
- Email ID
- Active Bank Account
- Pan Details
- GST Number (or you are selling in a GST-exempt category)
Documents required for Private Limited Company:
- Copy of Certificate of Incorporation
- Copy of Memorandum of Association
- Bank Account Number
- Email ID
- GST Registration number
- Contact number
If you fall under the GST category and still don’t have GST, learn how to apply for it in the next segment.
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How To Apply For GST?
GST- Goods and Service tax is imposed on the supply of goods and services. Every seller must enroll for a GST number willing to sell across India, except those selling goods or services under exempt categories. The GST registration process is broken into smaller sections to make it easier to understand.
1- Generate Your GST Application Form
In this section, you will go through a process to generate a Temporary Reference number and fill up the registration form.
Firstly, you have to obtain the Temporary Registration Number (TRN). For this, you need a valid mobile number (an India number), email address, and PAN (Permanent Account Number) for the business. For this, go to https://www.gst.gov.in/ to apply.
Step 1: Navigate to Services > Registration > New Registration. You see a page like the one below.
You can also register for GST through an exclusive offer for Amazon by clicking here.
Now fill up all the required details, then click Proceed at the bottom of the page, just as the image below.
Step 2: You will get two different OTPs on your mobile as well as on your email for your mobile number and email id verification. Since OTP is valid only for 10 minutes, you can also regenerate the OTP if required. By now, your Temporary Reference number will be generated. Check the given image.
Once OTP is verified, Click on Proceed again. Or else you can navigate to Services > Registration > New Registration option and select the Temporary Reference Number (TRN) radio button to login through the TRN.
Step 3: Enter the TRN generated in the Temporary Reference Number (TRN) field then enter the captcha text as visible on your screen as below.
Step 4: You will again receive an OTP to verify. This time, you will receive a common OTP on your mobile number and email id for verification. Enter the new OTP received.
Step 5: Now, you will land on the “My Saved Application” page. Fill in all the form details and submit. You will get 15 days to submit. Once you submit the form, your number and saved form will be deleted from the portal. Next, click the Edit button.
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2- Filling GST Application Form
The form contains 10 separate tabs for each section. Click each tab one by one to enter the required section. See the below image.
Before submitting the form, consult your CA/Tax Consultant/GST Practitioner. Get required documents before proceeding.
Required documents
- Valid Bank Account Number with IFSC
- Constitution/incorporation proof of the business
- In case of a Partnership Firm – Deed of Partnership
- For Others- Registration Certificate of the business entity.
- Proof of primary place of business.
- Proof of appointment of Authorised Signatory.
- Photo of director, promoter, partner, Karta of Hindu undivided family (HUF) (whichever is applicable).
- Photo of Authorised Signatory.
- Copy/Xerox of front/first page of bank passbook/statement having bank account number, branch address, address of account holder, and latest transaction details.
3- Register Digital Signature Certificate
Please note that you would need to digitally sign the form to verify your GST application. DSC (Digital Signature Certificate) is compulsory for Companies and LLPs. Also, only the digital signature of the Authorized Signatory specified in the registration form is allowed to register and use. Here is how you can sign the document using DSC.
Step 1: Make sure you have DSC software installed on your computer.
Step 2: Get a DSC by contacting any one of the certifying authorities mentioned on http://www.cca.gov.in/cca/.
Step 3: Once you get the DSC software, you should also receive the DSC Dongle. Install the software and proceed to the next step.
Step 4: Additionally, you would need to install Emsigner, to sign the GST form. Go to emsigner.com to download and install the DSC Signer.
In case you choose other available methods for form verification instead of DSC, please refer to the next segment.
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4- Verify and Submit Your GST Application
You can verify your GST form using three methods:
- DSC
- E-signature
- EVC
DSC is already covered in the previous section. We will learn about how to submit a GST form for verification with E-signature and EVS.
- E-signature: In the GST Portal, you will get an option to choose Electronic Signature (E-Sign) to submit a GST form. If you are an Aadhar holder, you can use the electronic signature service in India to digitally sign a document.
You will get a One Time Password (OTP), which will be sent to the mobile number registered with Aadhar. Simply enter the OTP and you will be eligible to use the service.
- EVS (Electronic Verification Code): If you wish to do the user authentication using an OTP, then you can select this method. The OTP is called the Electronic Verification Code (EVC). You will receive the OTP on the registered mobile number of the Authorized Signatory.
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5- Collect GST Registration Certificate
Once you have successfully completed the form submission using one of the above methods, you have to track your application and then collect the form. Here is how to do it:
Step 1: You will see an Application Reference Number (ARN), generated and sent to your mobile number and email id. Use the number to track your application status by navigating to Services > Registration > Track Application. Refer to the image below.
If you find your Application Status “Approved”, you will receive in your email and SMS a temporary user name as your GSTIN number and password to login to the GST website.
Step 2: Go to the “Login” page and then click on the “New User Login” option, available at the bottom of the login page. Enter the temporary username and password and click on Login. It will ask you to change the username and password for future use.
Step 3: It would take 3-5 days to Download your Registration Certificate. To download your Registration Certificate, you have to log in using valid credentials to access your dashboard. Now go to Services > User Services > View or Download Certificates and click the Download button.
How To Register And Launch Your Business?
Once you have completed the process of filing GST, next comes the process of registration and launching your business on Amazon.
Here is the process to start selling on Amazon, India:
1- Sign-In To The Account
Sign in to the Amazon Seller Central account by using your Amazon email id and password.
If you do not have an account, choose ‘Create a new account‘ on Amazon.in.
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Once you login into your amazon customer account click on Accounts & Lists and select Your Seller Account. You will see a page like the one below:
Click on Start Selling.
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2- Enter Company Details
You can see a page like this where you have to enter your legal company name given in your GST.
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3- Phone Verification
You will receive an OTP, verify your mobile number through OTP.
4- Seller Information
Fill up the following form. Enter your store name, product, and your business address.
5- Tax Details
Now, provide your tax details, including your GST and PAN number. Click Next and move to another section- Seller Interview.
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6- Dashboard
Fill up the Seller Interview form and move to the next stage- Dashboard. Add the remaining details like shipping fee details, bank account details, tax details, and product tax code. Finally, upload your digital signature and click on Launch your business.
How To Upload Products For Selling On Amazon India?
Step 1: Log in to your seller account, first click on the Inventory tab and then on Add a Product.
Step 2: Fill up your product name or barcode number to find if the product is available in the existing catalog of Amazon.in, just as below.
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Step 3: If the product is available, select the product, add the price at which you want to sell the product and the number of units you are willing to sell. There are some other additional documents or information required during listing for certain categories. These are also called gated categories. Refer to the image below:
Step 4: If your product doesn’t exist in the catalog, choose I’m adding a product not sold on Amazon to create a new listing. Creating a new listing will help customers find all the relevant information about your new product.
Step 5: After creating your new listing, enter the product details as follows.
Make sure you consider the following requirements:
- Title: Keep the length up to 200 characters max and capitalize the first letter of every word.
- Images: Keep image size 500 x 500 pixels or 1,000 x 1,000 to increase listing quality as per Amazon Image Guidelines.
- Variations: Select different colors, scents, or sizes.
- Bullet points: Describe the product in short and descriptive sentences, highlighting key features and benefits.
- Featured offer (“Buy Box”): Provide the featured offer on a detailed page. Customers should be able to either click on Add to Cart or Buy Now.
- Other offers: Provide details about multiple sellers selling the same product at a different price, shipping options, etc.
- Description: Optimize the content using keywords to improve listing discoverability.
6- Once you have completed the providing product details, click Save and Finish to add the product to your inventory.
FAQs About Selling On Amazon India
Q1. What can you sell on Amazon India?
You can sell any items from the following categories:
Automotive, Apparel, Baby Products, Beauty, Books, Consumables, Digital Accessories (including Mobile Accessories, Electronics Accessories, and PC Accessories), Consumer Electronics (including Cameras and Video Games-Consoles), Home, Jewelry, Groceries, Kitchen, Luggage, Movies, Musical Instruments, Mobile Phones, Personal Care Appliances, Personal Computers, Office and Stationery, Pet Supplies, Software, Watches, Shoes and Handbags, Tablets, Toys, and Video games (consoles and games).
Kindly note that certain categories are restricted and require prior approval before you can start selling.
Q2. Can I sell on Amazon, if I don’t have a website?
You don’t need a website to sell on Amazon.in. After registration, you can access our Seller Central platform where you can list your products for sale.
Q3. Can I sell outside India through Amazon.in the marketplace?
No. Presently, Amazon.in the marketplace has shipment services within India only. You can sell in the UK and the US through Amazon Global Selling Program.
Q4. Can I sell on Amazon without a GST number?
You can sell without a GST number if you sell books only. Still, sellers selling books might require registration, depending on the registration rules of a different state. Kindly, get in touch with your tax advisor to find your obligations.
Q5. Can I sell on Amazon without my current bank account?
A Current Account is non-mandatory for sellers on amazon. But, as per finance experts, a seller should have a current account for business transactions.
Q6. What is a legal business name?
The legal business name is the name of your business appearing on your GST certificate.
Q7. What is a Product Tax Code (PCT)?
Product Tax Codes (PTC) are the codes in amazon seller central that direct Amazon sellers on how to charge sales tax to their customers in different states as per government guidelines. Click here to learn more.
Q8. If a customer’s pin code is ineligible for the amazon easy ship, then what is the alternative?
You can use self-ship to deliver your orders. If you have chosen amazon self-ship, you will receive orders from those areas only.
Q9. What is the cost of selling on Amazon?
Seller registration and product listing on Amazon.in are free. Amazon charges you only when you get an order. Refer to Pricing for more details.
Q10. Will I get a refund if my products get lost or damaged during customer return?
Yes. Amazon has the policy to reimburse sellers if the product is either lost, damaged, or not returned in original condition. Under Amazon Safe T Claim policy, the seller gets compensation for the losses incurred due to the buyer. Easy Ship sellers get the option to file a claim against such orders. Learn more about amazon’s safe t claim.
Q11. How much time does it take to get paid?
The first payment is made within 14 days after which sellers are paid every 7 days.
Q12. How can I calculate my profit?
Use the Amazon calculator to calculate the approximate fees per product.
Q13. How can I promote my products on Amazon?
Amazon sponsored products are an effective mode of advertising products on amazon. Sellers use amazon sponsored products to showcase their products to relevant buyers and boost their sales on amazon.
Q14. How can I become an Amazon Prime Seller?
First, you must register for Amazon FBA. Amazon FBA is a program that allows Amazon sellers to store their inventory at one of the Amazon fulfillment centers. Amazon solely takes the responsibility to store, pick, pack and deliver products to customers on the behalf of the sellers.
Q15. What document do I need to register for Amazon FBA?
To register for Amazon FBA you would need documents, such as PAN card, GST Certificate, Business Address proof, etc. Click here to learn about the Amazon FBA Registration Process.
Q16. Is there any seller app Amazon offers?
Yes, Amazon offers an app called “Amazon Seller” for its sellers for managing their seller account from your phone. It is available for both android and ios platforms
Q17. What is the Amazon Seller Rewards Program?
Amazon Seller Rewards Program is a seller loyalty program on Amazon.in. Under this program, registered sellers receive Rewards by successfully participating in Reward-earning tasks/contests.
Q18. How does the Program benefit me?
The program benefits you as you may earn Rewards by participating in tasks/contests available to you and grow your business at the same time.
Q19. Will I get protection against fraud?
Yes. Amazon provides protection against fraudulent orders placed on your products and fraudulent payments. Learn more about this.
Q20. Where can I get Amazon-branded packaging material?
Your packaging requirements depend on the fulfillment option you have chosen. You can also look for Amazon-branded packaging material on Amazon.in and choose the right packaging material as per your packaging requirements.
Summary
Amazon India is currently the most potential e-commerce platform for Indian entrepreneurs. There are a lot of successful and inspiring stories that began from Amazon. If you want to make your dream a reality, Amazon is the place.
The guide above explains each requirement and step in detail to help you start selling your products on Amazon India effortlessly.
