§1What this business is

A small online marketplace: a web and mobile cart where sellers list products, buyers pay online and goods are delivered to the door. The owner earns a fee on each sale. The portal can be custom-built by developers (about 10–12 weeks) or set up faster on a ready e-commerce software subscription (about 3–4 weeks).

Capacity: At full capacity, sales of ₹450 L a year through the portal (2,500 items a month at an average ₹1,500) earn an 8% fee — gross income ₹36.00 L.

§2Is it right for you?

Who it is for

Someone who knows a niche or a town's sellers well and can market online.

Who it is not for

Someone expecting shoppers to arrive without marketing.

Advantages

  • Low setup cost; no stock if sellers ship
  • Commission income grows with sellers
  • Can focus on a local area or a niche
  • Ready software makes launch quick

Drawbacks

  • Giant marketplaces take most shoppers
  • Marketing spend is needed to get traffic
  • Returns, delivery and seller quality need daily handling
  • Year 1 is a loss in the profile

Skills you need

  • Seller onboarding
  • Digital marketing
  • Order, payment and return handling
  • Basic web tools

Why difficulty 3/5: Cheap to start, hard to win traffic against big platforms.

§3Market

Who buys

  • Online shoppers in the target area or niche
  • Local sellers who pay a fee to list

How it sells

  • Own website and Android/iOS app
  • Social media and online ads

Good to know

  • The profile assumes an 8% fee on sales across categories such as electronics, kitchen goods and sports items.

§4Raw material & machinery

ItemQtyCost
Portal building (web and app)1₹1,85,000
Computers with hardware and software5₹1,35,000
Office furniture1 lot₹90,000
Network installation1₹5,000

From: SIDBI Stand-Up Mitra project profile — Online Shopping Cart Application (2018) — private guide — confirm locally

  • Portal AMC from the service provider₹18,500 a month in the profile
  • Payment gateway AMC and app-store fees₹1,300 and ₹2,500 a month
  • Internet connection₹700 a month

From: SIDBI Stand-Up Mitra project profile — Online Shopping Cart Application (2018) — private guide — confirm locally

§5Licences & registration

  1. Udyam registration
  2. GST registration — e-commerce operators must register and collect TCS on sellers' sales
  3. Follow the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020
  4. Payment gateway agreement (KYC)
  5. Shops and Establishments registration for the office

We can do this registration for you

§6Schemes & subsidies

MUDRA and PMEGP fit a ₹9 L service project; CGTMSE for a collateral-free loan; Stand-Up India for eligible founders.

§7Money

How the investment is worked out: Portal building ₹1.85 L + computers, network and furniture ₹2.30 L + working-capital margin for 3 months ₹5.07 L = ₹9.22 L. No land or building.

Working capital: Running cost ₹1.69 L a month (salaries ₹1.22 L, portal AMC ₹18,500, rent ₹15,000); 3 months = ₹5.07 L.

Prices from 2018 — machinery, material and salary figures will be higher now.

How to prepare a loan file

§8Export potential

A digital service; it has no goods of its own to export.

§9Risks — where people fail

  • Too little traffic
  • Fraud and payment disputes
  • Delivery failures
  • Big platforms undercutting fees

§1030 / 60 / 90-day plan

A general plan that applies to any business. A plan for this business will be added after research.

  1. Days 1–30: Visit a working online shopping portal (multi-seller cart app) unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
  2. Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (Udyam registration, GST registration — e-commerce operators must register and collect TCS on sellers' sales), a project report (DPR), and the scheme or loan file.
  3. Days 61–90: Space and machines, trial production, and first deliveries to 10 customers.

§11Who to connect with

Not verified yet

Associations, clusters and training institutes — the directory is being built. Connect

§12Watch

There is no episode on this business yet. Shows are coming soon on the Podcast page.

Want to start Online Shopping Portal (Multi-Seller Cart App)?

DPR, loan file or registration — ask us on WhatsApp.

Get a DPR / loan file made

Sources

  1. SIDBI Stand-Up Mitra project profile — Online Shopping Cart Application (2018)

Data review: 6 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Report it. For information only — not legal or financial advice.