Find your market

How to start

1. Get Udyam registration (free) so shops and banks see you as a registered MSME.
2. If you sell food, get FSSAI registration or licence on FoSCoS before the first sale.
3. Print every packed product with the declarations required by the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, including the retail sale price (MRP).
4. Make a one-page price list with your selling price to the shop and the printed MRP.
5. Start with 10–20 shops near you; leave stock on a fixed visit day and collect payment or unsold stock on the next visit.
6. Keep a simple ledger of each shop's stock, sales and dues.

Costs

• Udyam registration: free (Source: Udyam Registration portal).
• FSSAI registration or licence fee depends on your category; check the current fee on FoSCoS (Source: FSSAI FoSCoS).
• Shop margin is decided by negotiation with each shop; no official rate exists. Ask 3–4 shops what other suppliers give before fixing yours.

Rules

• Pre-packed goods for retail sale must carry the declarations listed in the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, including the retail sale price (Source: Department of Consumer Affairs).
• Packaged goods may not be sold above the printed retail sale price (Source: Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011).
• Food businesses need FSSAI registration or a licence before selling (Source: FSSAI FoSCoS).

How to start

1. Ask the gram panchayat, market committee or municipal office who runs the haat and how stalls are given.
2. For street vending in a town, apply to your urban local body for a vending certificate under its town vending scheme.
3. Street vendors can check the PM SVANidhi portal for small working-capital loans.
4. Carry a price board, weighing scale (if you sell by weight) and a UPI QR code.
5. Note what sells and at what price every market day.

Costs

• Stall or ground fee is set by the local body or haat committee; no national rate exists. Ask the local office.
• PM SVANidhi loan amounts and terms: check the current details on the PM SVANidhi portal (Source: MoHUA PM SVANidhi portal).

Rules

• Vending in towns is regulated by the urban local body; sell only in permitted vending zones.
• If you sell by weight, the scale must be verified and stamped by the state Legal Metrology department.
• Cooked or packed food needs FSSAI registration (Source: FSSAI FoSCoS).

How to start

1. Check footfall at the location for a week before signing rent.
2. Register the shop under your state's Shops and Establishments law and get a trade licence from the municipality where required.
3. Get GST registration if your turnover crosses the limit or you sell across states.
4. Get FSSAI registration or licence for the premises if you sell food.
5. Put up clear price tags and keep bills for every sale.

Costs

• Shops and Establishments and trade licence fees are set by each state or municipality; check your state portal.
• Rent, deposit, fit-out and staff are your biggest costs; no official benchmark exists.

Rules

• Shop registration rules differ by state; check your state's labour department or single-window portal.
• Packed goods must not be sold above the printed retail sale price (Source: Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011).
• Food premises need FSSAI registration or licence (Source: FSSAI FoSCoS).

How to start

1. Find out whether an FPO already works in your block (state-wise FPO lists are on the SFAC site).
2. To form a new one under the central 10,000 FPO scheme, contact the implementing agency or Cluster-Based Business Organisation (CBBO) for your area.
3. Register the FPO as a producer company or cooperative.
4. Collect member share capital, then apply for the matching equity grant and credit guarantee.
5. Onboard the FPO on e-NAM and ONDC to reach more buyers.

Costs

• Scheme support: ₹18 lakh per FPO towards management cost for 3 years (Source: PIB backgrounder, 28 Feb 2025).
• Matching equity grant up to ₹2,000 per farmer member, with a limit of ₹15.00 lakh per FPO (Source: PIB backgrounder, 28 Feb 2025).
• Credit guarantee facility up to ₹2 crore of project loan per FPO (Source: PIB backgrounder, 28 Feb 2025).
• Scheme outlay ₹6,865 crore till 2027-28 (Source: PIB backgrounder, 28 Feb 2025).
• Company or cooperative registration fees are set by the MCA or the state cooperative department — check the current fee there.

Rules

• The equity grant is a matching grant, not government participation in equity (Source: SFAC operational guidelines, 10,000 FPO scheme).
• Equity grant per individual shareholder is capped at ₹2,000 and can be drawn in up to three tranches (Source: SFAC operational guidelines).
• The 10,000th FPO under the scheme was launched by the Prime Minister (Source: PIB backgrounder, 28 Feb 2025); check with your implementing agency whether new FPOs are still being formed under it.

How to start

1. Work backwards from MRP: write down your cost, your price to the distributor, the distributor's price to the retailer and the MRP. Check that each level is left with a margin that is common in your trade (ask existing retailers and distributors; there is no official rate).
2. Find distributors who already supply your type of shop (ask retailers who supplies them).
3. Sign a written agreement: area, minimum order, credit days, return or expiry policy, and how either side can exit.
4. Raise a GST invoice for every supply; generate an e-way bill where the GST rules require it.
5. Track distributor sales monthly and visit key retailers yourself.

Costs

• Distributor and retailer margins are set by negotiation and differ by product and region; no official percentage exists, so we do not print one.
• Many distributors ask for credit days, display or trade schemes, and replacement of expired stock; put each in the written agreement.
• E-way bill generation on the GST portal has no listed fee (Source: GST e-Way Bill System).

Rules

• No one in the chain — manufacturer, wholesaler or retailer — may sell packaged goods above the printed retail sale price (Source: Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011).
• Goods moved between businesses need a GST invoice, and an e-way bill when the GST e-way bill rules apply (Source: GST e-Way Bill System).
• If your buyer is a registered business and you are a micro or small enterprise, delayed payments can be raised on MSME Samadhaan (Source: MSME Samadhaan).

How to start

1. Make a list of 20 institutions within your delivery range and find the purchase or stores officer at each.
2. Prepare a vendor kit: Udyam certificate, GST certificate, PAN, cancelled cheque, product samples, test reports and a price list.
3. Apply to get on their approved vendor list; many large buyers run an online vendor registration.
4. Agree the payment period in writing on the purchase order.
5. If the buyer is a large company or CPSE, ask whether it pays MSE invoices through TReDS.

Costs

• No standard fee; some buyers charge a vendor registration or tender fee — ask before applying.
• TReDS lets you discount approved invoices for early cash; the discount rate is bid by banks and NBFCs on the platform (Source: PIB, 10 Jul 2026).

Rules

• Micro and small enterprises registered on Udyam can file delayed-payment cases against buyers on MSME Samadhaan (Source: MSME Samadhaan).
• The Government has mandated that CPSEs settle all MSME invoices through TReDS (Source: PIB, 10 Jul 2026).
• Food supplied to hospitals, hotels or canteens needs FSSAI registration or licence (Source: FSSAI FoSCoS).

How to start

1. Pick one or two fairs in your sector from the BuildingBusiness.in Events page.
2. Visit once as a visitor before paying for a stall.
3. Ask your state MSME department, DIC or industry association whether a subsidised stall is available in their pavilion.
4. Prepare samples, a printed price list, visiting cards and a simple form to note every enquiry.
5. Follow up every enquiry within a week.

Costs

• Stall rent is set by each organiser; check the current fee on the fair's official site.
• The Ministry of MSME's International Cooperation Scheme (Market Development Assistance) supports MSME participation in approved events through eligible organisations; its status for 2026-27 is unclear — confirm with the Ministry before relying on it (Source: myScheme, ICS-MDA).

Rules

• Selling food at a fair needs FSSAI registration (Source: FSSAI FoSCoS).
• Goods carried to a fair in another state need proper GST documents for movement.

How to start

1. As a franchisor: run at least one outlet profitably first and write down every process (recipes, supply, training, pricing).
2. Register your brand name as a trade mark with IP India before giving it to others.
3. Get a lawyer to draft the franchise agreement: fees, royalty, supply obligations, territory, term, exit and dispute resolution.
4. As a franchisee: check that the brand's trade mark is registered (search on IP India) and talk to existing franchisees before paying.
5. Get the licences for each outlet in your own name (FSSAI for food, shop registration, GST).

Costs

• Franchise fee, royalty and fit-out cost are set by each brand in its agreement; there is no official rate.
• Trade mark filing fees are published by IP India — check the current fee on ipindia.gov.in (Source: IP India).

Rules

• The relationship is governed by the written agreement; read every clause on fees, supply and exit before signing.
• Each outlet needs its own licences such as FSSAI for food premises (Source: FSSAI FoSCoS).
• A registered trade mark protects the brand name you are licensing (Source: IP India).

How to start

1. Keep ready: Aadhaar or PAN of the primary user with linked mobile, an active email, business PAN, CIN (companies only), bank account and IFSC, registered address, and ITRs of the last 3 years if the business is older than 24 months (needed to take part in bids).
2. Optional but useful: Udyam number (to claim MSE benefits), DPIIT number (startups), GST number.
3. Register as a seller on gem.gov.in and complete the seller profile.
4. Complete vendor assessment if your product category requires it.
5. List products or services in the right category with your price, and watch for bids in your category.

Costs

• Seller registration: no charge — GeM says "There are no charges or fee for getting registered" (Source: GeM Seller FAQs).
• Caution money (a refundable deposit earlier linked to turnover): GeM says the provision was discontinued in 2025 (Source: GeM Seller FAQs).
• Annual Milestone Charge: flat ₹10,000 plus GST once a seller's merchandise value crosses ₹20 lakh in a financial year (Source: GeM Seller FAQs).
• Transaction charges apply on contracts valued above ₹10 lakh; slab rates are in GeM's revenue policy — check the current fee there (Source: GeM Seller FAQs).
• TDS at 2% is deducted on transaction charges and Annual Milestone Charges once the cumulative value exceeds ₹30,000 in a financial year (Source: GeM Seller FAQs).
• Vendor assessment fee: slabs are in GeM's Vendor Validation Policy — check the current fee on GeM (Source: GeM Seller FAQs).

Rules

• Under the Public Procurement Policy for MSEs, central ministries, departments and CPSEs must buy at least 25% of their annual purchases from MSEs, including 4% from SC/ST-owned MSEs and 3% from women-owned MSEs (Source: PIB, 8 Aug 2024; MSME Sambandh).
• GeM FAQ: where the policy applies, 100% of the bid quantity is awarded to the L1 MSE seller (Source: GeM Seller FAQs).
• EMD applies on GeM bids where the estimated bid value is above ₹5 lakh; MSE exemption from experience and turnover conditions applies only if the buyer selects it while creating the bid (Source: GeM Seller FAQs).
• DPIIT-recognised startups can get relaxation in prior turnover, prior experience and EMD (Source: Startup India playbook, via GeM onboarding record).

How to start

1. Get Udyam registration and declare SC/ST or women ownership there if it applies.
2. Get a Class 3 digital signature certificate for e-tendering.
3. Register as a bidder on the Central Public Procurement Portal (eprocure.gov.in) and on the vendor portals of PSUs you want to supply.
4. Check whether your product is among the 358 items reserved for exclusive purchase from MSEs.
5. Attend vendor development programmes run by the Ministry of MSME with CPSEs.

Costs

• Under the policy, MSEs get tender sets free of cost and are exempt from paying earnest money deposit (EMD) (Source: DC-MSME PPP FAQs, Q11).
• There is no exemption from security deposit or performance bank guarantee (Source: DC-MSME PPP FAQs, Q20).
• Digital signature certificate: price set by the certifying authority you buy from; no government rate.

Rules

• Central ministries, departments and CPSEs must procure at least 25% of total annual purchases from MSEs (Source: MSME Sambandh; PIB, 8 Aug 2024).
• Within the 25%: 4% is reserved for MSEs owned by SC/ST entrepreneurs and 3% for MSEs owned by women entrepreneurs (Source: MSME Sambandh; PIB, 8 Aug 2024).
• Purchase preference: an MSE quoting within L1 + 15% may supply a portion by bringing its price down to L1, when L1 is from a non-MSE; such MSE may supply up to 25% of the total tender value (Source: DC-MSME PPP FAQs, Q8).
• If the tender item cannot be split, an MSE within the L1 + 15% band may be awarded the full supply (Source: DC-MSME PPP FAQs, Q21).
• 358 items are reserved for exclusive purchase from MSEs (Source: DC-MSME PPP FAQs, Q17).
• Only goods produced and services rendered by MSEs qualify; traders, distributors, sole agents and works contracts are excluded (Source: DC-MSME PPP FAQs, Q18 and Q49).
• MSEs may be given relaxation in prior turnover and prior experience criteria (Source: DC-MSME PPP FAQs, Q11).

How to start

1. Check whether your nearest mandi is on e-NAM (state-wise list on enam.gov.in).
2. Farmers and FPOs register on enam.gov.in or at the mandi's e-NAM desk with identity and bank details.
3. Bring produce to the mandi; it is weighed and, where the facility exists, quality-assayed before online bidding.
4. Accept or reject the highest bid; payment is credited to your bank account.
5. Traders need a licence from the state APMC / mandi board to buy.

Costs

• Mandi fee, commission agent charges and other market charges are fixed by each state's APMC law and differ by state — check with your state mandi board.
• The Centre gives states up to ₹75.00 lakh per mandi for e-NAM infrastructure such as assaying labs and electronic weighing; this is a grant to states, not to sellers (Source: PIB, 17 Mar 2026).

Rules

• Agricultural marketing is regulated by each state's APMC Act; notified produce, fees and licences differ by state.
• As of February 2026, 1,656 mandis from 23 States and 4 UTs were on e-NAM, with 1.80 crore farmers, 2.72 lakh traders and 4,724 FPOs registered (Source: PIB, 17 Mar 2026).

How to start

1. Pick a seller application that works in your category and city (the list of seller-side participants is on ondc.org).
2. Give the seller app your KYC, GST details (where applicable), bank details and agree its terms and payment period.
3. Build your catalogue: product name, brand, photos, MRP, selling price and stock.
4. Ask the seller app whether you are eligible for help under the MSME-TEAM initiative.
5. Use the ONDC Sahayak WhatsApp bot or ONDC Academy for help.

Costs

• Each seller app sets its own charges; check the current fee with the seller app before signing up.
• MSME-TEAM gives financial assistance to micro and small enterprises through Seller Network Participants for catalogue preparation, account management, logistics and packaging; it runs from 2024 to 2027 and targets 5 lakh MSEs, half of them women-owned (Source: PIB ONDC backgrounder, 4 Jan 2025).

Rules

• Sellers join through seller applications; ONDC's Feet on Street programme helps sellers onboard on seller applications (Source: PIB ONDC backgrounder, 4 Jan 2025).
• Normal GST, FSSAI and Legal Metrology rules apply to what you sell, as on any other channel.

How to start

1. Go to sell.amazon.in and click 'Start Selling'; sign in or create an account and verify your mobile with OTP.
2. Enter and verify your GST number (verification can take up to 72 hours). Without GST you can sell only GST-exempt products, using your PAN.
3. Choose a store name and a pickup address in the same state as your GST registration.
4. Choose a shipping method (Easy Ship, Self Ship or Fulfilment by Amazon) and add your bank account.
5. List products and launch your store.

Costs

• Referral fee: a percentage of the selling price that depends on product category; starts at 0% (Source: Amazon.in Fees and Pricing).
• Closing fee: based on item price, starts at ₹2, varies by price range and fulfilment channel (Source: Amazon.in Fees and Pricing).
• Weight handling (shipping) fee: starts at ₹37 per item shipped, varies by volume and distance (Source: Amazon.in Fees and Pricing).
• Other fees apply for some fulfilment channels and optional programmes; category-wise rates change — check the current fee on the Amazon seller page before pricing.

Rules

• A valid GST number is mandatory except for GST-exempt products, which can be sold with PAN details (Source: Amazon.in seller registration guide).
• The pickup address must be in the state where your GST is registered (Source: Amazon.in seller registration guide).
• With Easy Ship, Amazon charges the shipping fee even if you offer free delivery to the customer (Source: Amazon.in seller registration guide).

How to start

1. Go to seller.flipkart.com and start seller registration with your mobile number and email.
2. Keep ready your GSTIN (or the alternative Flipkart allows for exempt categories), PAN, bank account details and pickup address.
3. Complete the profile, list products and wait for account verification.
4. Read Flipkart's current fee and commission page in Seller Hub before setting prices.

Costs

• Flipkart publishes its commission, fixed fee, collection fee and shipping fee inside Seller Hub; we could not read the page in a verifiable form — check the current fee on the seller page.

Rules

• Registration terms, document list and fees are set by Flipkart and can change; read the Seller Hub terms of use before signing up.
• GST, Legal Metrology labelling and FSSAI (for food) apply to products sold online as they do offline.

How to start

1. Go to supplier.meesho.com and register with your mobile number and email.
2. Enter your GSTIN, or — if you do not have GST — an Enrolment ID / UIN obtained from the GST portal, as Meesho's supplier site describes.
3. Add bank account and pickup address.
4. Upload catalogues and set prices after reading Meesho's current pricing and shipping pages.

Costs

• Meesho's supplier site is titled 'Sell online on Meesho at 0% commission'. Shipping, penalties and other charges are set by Meesho and can change — check the current fee on the supplier pricing and shipping pages (Source: Meesho Supplier pages).

Rules

• Sellers without GSTIN must get an Enrolment ID / UIN from the GST portal; such sellers can sell only within their registered state (Source: Meesho Supplier 'Sell without GST' page).
• Read Meesho's supplier terms on returns and penalties before listing.

How to start

1. Register a free listing on IndiaMART (seller.indiamart.com) and TradeIndia.
2. Add clear photos, specifications, minimum order quantity and a price range.
3. Reply to every enquiry the same day; ask for the buyer's GST number and full address before quoting.
4. Take advance payment or a confirmed purchase order from new buyers.
5. Consider a paid plan only after you see what enquiries the free listing brings.

Costs

• IndiaMART advertises free registration for sellers (Source: IndiaMART seller page).
• Both IndiaMART and TradeIndia sell paid membership or lead plans; prices are not published in a form we could verify — check the current fee on the seller page.

Rules

• The portal only connects you; the sale contract, invoice, GST and delivery are between you and the buyer.
• Verify a new buyer's GSTIN on the GST portal before shipping on credit.

How to start

1. Get an Importer-Exporter Code (IEC) online on dgft.gov.in — one PAN, one IEC.
2. Join the export promotion council or commodity board for your product to get a Registration-cum-Membership Certificate (RCMC), which many export benefits need.
3. Start small: send samples or small parcels by courier or through an India Post Dak Ghar Niryat Kendra.
4. Or register on a cross-border marketplace such as Amazon Global Selling with identity proof, address proof and an internationally enabled card.
5. Read the BuildingBusiness.in Export & Import section before your first shipment.

Costs

• IEC application fee: as per Appendix-2K of the DGFT Handbook of Procedures — check the current fee on dgft.gov.in (Source: DGFT HBP 2023, Chapter 2, para 2.06).
• RCMC membership fee is set by each export promotion council or board — check the current fee on its site.
• Courier exports are allowed up to ₹10 lakh per consignment under FTP 2023 (Source: DGFT FTP 2023 presentation).

Rules

• IEC is compulsory for import and export except for categories exempted in the Handbook of Procedures (Source: DGFT HBP 2023, Chapter 2).
• Export benefits under FTP are applied for online on dgft.gov.in with IEC and a digital signature.