How Much Does It Cost to Build an E-commerce MVP in India? (2025)
An e-commerce MVP in India costs ₹2.5–10 lakh ($3,000–$12,000) for a custom-built storefront, or ₹50,000–2 lakh for a Shopify/WooCommerce deployment. Custom builds make sense when you have complex pricing, B2B workflows, or a unique buying experience. Standard D2C stores rarely justify custom code at the MVP stage - Shopify with a good theme and Razorpay integration can go live in 2–3 weeks. Factor in cataloguing, photography, and logistics integrations as hidden costs that most developers will not quote.
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Get My Estimate →| Tier | USD Range | INR Range | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify / No-code | $600–$2.5k | ₹50k–₹2L | 2–4 |
| Custom Storefront | $3.6k–$9k | ₹3L–₹7.5L | 8–14 |
| Full-featured Platform | $10k–$25k | ₹8.3L–₹21L | 16–28 |
frontend → Next.js (Commerce.js or Medusa storefront) backend → Medusa.js or custom Node.js API database → PostgreSQL auth → NextAuth.js or custom JWT hosting → Vercel (frontend) + Railway (backend)
Medusa.js is the open-source Shopify alternative that gives you full control over pricing logic, discounts, and inventory without the per-transaction fees. Next.js Commerce provides a production-ready storefront template. For most early-stage D2C brands, however, Shopify with a headless theme is faster and cheaper - go custom only when you have a real reason.
- ▷Features: Each additional feature adds scope. Define your must-haves ruthlessly - every feature deferred to V2 saves real money.
- ▷Team location: Indian freelancers: ₹1,500–4,000/hr. Indian studios: ₹4,000–8,000/hr. US/EU agencies: $100–250/hr. Same deliverable, very different cost.
- ▷Timeline: Compressing a 12-week project into 6 weeks requires more parallel developers, which raises cost faster than it cuts time.
- ▷Scale requirements: Building for 100 users looks very different from building for 100,000. Define your launch-day scale upfront and avoid over-engineering.
- -Product photography: ₹500–2,000 per SKU for professional shots
- -Payment gateway charges: Razorpay charges 2% per transaction; factor this into your unit economics from day one
- -Shipping & logistics integration (Shiprocket, Delhivery): ₹15,000–40,000 dev time + platform fees
- -GST compliance and invoicing automation: ₹20,000–60,000 one-time + ongoing CA fees
- -Customer returns portal and refund logic: often underestimated, adds 1–2 weeks to development
Should I build custom or use Shopify for my e-commerce MVP?+
Use Shopify unless you have a compelling reason not to. It handles payments, inventory, returns, and dozens of integrations out of the box. Build custom only when your pricing model, subscription logic, or B2B workflow genuinely cannot be handled by Shopify apps - which is rare at the MVP stage.
How much does a Shopify store cost to set up in India?+
A basic Shopify store with a premium theme, Razorpay integration, and 50–100 products catalogued costs ₹50,000–1.5 lakh including agency fees. The Shopify plan itself is $29–79/month. Indian agencies charge ₹15,000–60,000 for setup depending on complexity.
What is the timeline to launch an e-commerce MVP in India?+
A Shopify store can go live in 2–3 weeks. A custom Next.js + Medusa build takes 10–16 weeks. The biggest time sink is cataloguing products, setting up tax rules, and integrating logistics - not writing code.
Do I need a custom backend for my online store?+
Not for an MVP. Shopify, WooCommerce, or even Webflow Commerce cover 90% of early-stage needs. A custom backend becomes worthwhile when you need complex B2B pricing tiers, subscription bundles, marketplace features, or tight ERP integration.
How do Indian e-commerce startups handle GST compliance?+
Most use a combination of Zoho Books or Tally for accounting, and Razorpay or Cashfree for payment reconciliation. Your developer should set up auto-generated GST invoices from day one - retrofitting this later is painful and expensive. Budget ₹20,000–40,000 for proper invoice automation.
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