Launch · India

How to Launch a D2C Website in India in 7 Days

TL;DR

A D2C website in India can launch in 7 days with Razorpay for payments, WhatsApp Business API for customer communication, and Shiprocket for logistics. Skip Shopify — it locks you into their ecosystem and India-specific features require expensive third-party apps.

What you actually need vs what agencies upsell you. Payment gateways, WhatsApp logistics, and why Shopify is wrong for most Indian D2C brands.

What You Actually Need vs What Agencies Upsell You

Most Indian D2C brands are told they need a Rs 3-5 lakh website with custom design, 50 pages, and a full marketing automation setup before launch. That's agency nonsense. Here's what you actually need to start selling online in India:

• A homepage that loads in under 3 seconds on a 4G connection
• Product pages with clear photos, pricing in INR, and a buy button
• A working payment gateway that accepts UPI, cards, and net banking
• Shipping integration with real-time rates

That's it. Everything else — email marketing, loyalty programs, Instagram feeds — can be added after you've proven people will buy your product.

Razorpay vs Cashfree: Which Payment Gateway for India

Both work. Razorpay has better documentation and developer experience. Cashfree offers slightly lower transaction fees for high-volume merchants and better support for bank transfer-based payments. For most D2C brands under Rs 10 lakh monthly GMV, Razorpay is the faster setup.

Critical: ensure your gateway supports UPI AutoPay for subscription products, and that settlement happens in T+2 days (not T+5). Cash flow is king for D2C brands.

WhatsApp-First Logistics and Customer Communication

Indian D2C runs on WhatsApp. Not email, not SMS, not push notifications. Your post-purchase flow should use WhatsApp Business API for order confirmation, shipping updates, and delivery coordination. Open rates on WhatsApp are 80%+ compared to 20% for email in India.

For logistics, use Shiprocket or Delhivery's API directly. Both offer:

• Real-time tracking with automatic WhatsApp updates
• COD with verification via WhatsApp before dispatch (reduces RTO by 40%)
• NDR management (Non-Delivery Report) with automated customer outreach

Why Shopify Is Wrong for Most Indian D2C Brands

Shopify works brilliantly for US and European D2C brands. For India, it creates three specific problems:

• UPI and Indian payment integration requires third-party apps that add Rs 2,000-5,000/month
• Shipping integration with Indian carriers needs expensive plugins
• GST compliance and e-invoicing are not native — you need another app

By the time you add all the apps, you're paying Rs 10,000-15,000/month in platform and app fees for a store doing Rs 5 lakh GMV. That's 2-3% of revenue before marketing costs. A custom-built site with Razorpay and Shiprocket integrated natively costs less to run and gives you full control.

Shopify makes sense if you're doing Rs 50 lakh+ monthly GMV and need the ecosystem of apps and themes. Below that, a focused custom build pays for itself within 3 months.