Starting a business these days has become much easier than before. With the advent of technology, many new and innovative business plans have come into play. Today, you can start your dream business with minimal investment when you are aware of the various platforms to showcase your venture.

‍

Online marketplaces have particularly gained popularity because they are easy to set up, do not require huge investment and give better exposure to the right clients. A vast majority of businesses today have an online segment.

‍

But how do you start an online business? Besides starting your independent e-commerce website, online business has been further simplified by various online selling platforms.

‍

‍

You can start a business from scratch when you set up a store on any of the leading online selling platforms in India.

‍

As per the latest statistics, the active online penetration in the e-commerce segment is 76.7% and the online retail market is expected to grow up to 73Billion USD in India by 2024.

‍

What are online selling platforms?

Online shopping is a form of business through the internet. An online marketplace exchanges products among buyers and sellers through an online medium. It is a platform that links buyers and sellers through a website or an application.

‍

The products or services are exchanged, and the sectors that actively utilize this space are "Business to Business" or "Business to customers". Ideally, the online marketplace is owned by an external third party that is not involved with the product but serves as the mediator that runs the marketplace.

‍

In a few cases, when the business runs a dedicated online market place runs a dedicated space for its products and possesses complete control over it. The various online selling platforms in India are growing by the day. Hence, you have many opportunities to make the most of these platforms and own a business with minimal investment.

‍

Why set up a business on online selling platforms?

These days, business is much about exposure and networking. If you can reach out to potential clients, you can ensure consistent sales. The competition is increasing rapidly in every segment and hence establishing a business is getting tougher than ever.

‍

With the help of online platforms like Amazon and Flipkart which already have a huge clientele, you can quickly get better exposure. This is why it is more profitable to start an online business from such a selling platform that built an e-commerce website from scratch.

‍

‍

To successfully sell through the various online platforms, it is essential to understand which is the most suitable platform for your business type. To do so, you must also have a clear concept of the various categories of businesses. We have shared a gist of the different business models to help you determine the best platform to showcase your products and services.

‍

What are the types of Online Marketplace?

Online Market places are broadly divided into the following categories:

‍

1. Global Marketplace:

As the name suggests, it sells all types of products from various suppliers. This means these platforms are ideal for all types of business owners. The advantage is that such platforms have more exposure from various types of buyers.

‍

But there is a drawback as well- the competition is tough and it can get difficult for buyers to discover your products. Amazon and Flipkart are ideal examples of global marketplaces.

‍

2. Local Marketplace:

It is a marketplace of a local businesses. Such platforms operate only within the country and have sellers exclusively from around the country. These are targeted more towards local-made products.

‍

3. Hybrid Marketplace:

In this type, the owner of the marketplace can sell their products as well as from others. This means, that even if you do not own the marketplace, you can still sell your products through them. The process is hassle-free and you do not have to worry about the maintenance of the platform. But you get the benefits without any compromise.

‍

4. Horizontal Marketplace:

In this type, the marketplace sells different products that possess the same features. These are more product-specific platforms and hence only specific sellers can use these platforms.

‍

The horizontal marketplace is very useful when you have very specific client targets. But at the same time, if you are not able to access such platforms at your advantage if you do not have a specific genre of products and services.

‍

5. Vertical Marketplace:

In this type, the marketplace features the same products that come from different sellers. The competition is high but you also get better exposure from more people looking for such products. Such vertical marketplace targets a specific product or service niche and any seller providing them can become a part of the platform.

‍

‍

What to consider before selecting an Online Marketplace?

There are a few checkpoints one needs to look into before selecting an online marketplace which is enlisted below:

‍

1. A Platform that looks attractive and Mobile Friendly

You are likely to get more clients when your online store looks attractive and easy to access. Thus, it is essential to choose a responsive platform for setting up the business. Maximum people shop online through smart devices these days.

‍

As a result, it is essential to build a highly responsive platform. By becoming a part of a responsive platform like Fynd Platform, you can maximise your exposure to prospective clients.

‍

2. A quality and easy-to-navigate dashboard

A Platform with a dashboard which is not difficult to comprehend and showcases the real-time current trends and summaries is the ideal choice. It simplifies the processes to track your sales and inventory. When managing your online store is effortless, you can easily make the most of all the variables and maximize your profits.

‍

3. A platform that offers to project advertisements

Competition in online business is growing rapidly these days. To gain that extra edge over your competitors, it is essential to get better exposure. Online platforms which have options like sponsored posts or highlighted advertisements can help you get better clients. These are premium services but worth the cost to make your business stand out from the rest.

‍

4. A platform with a dedicated support team

Even if you have the simplest platform to operate, occasional glitches are not unheard of. This is where you will need a good support team. To keep your business up and running on any online selling platform, the role of the support team is undeniable. Hence, when you are choosing the online selling platform for your products, you must look into the support team they have.

‍

Benefits of Online Marketplaces

Online marketplaces are a revolution in the market sector; it has changed the shopping experience for all of us. Customers stepping out of their homes to buy something from the street is a scene that is reducing daily. Amazon, Flipkart, and eBay have become household entities, all thanks to the digitalization wave that has hit India and others.

‍

1. Get hold of Customers leading to a better sale

An online marketplace provides better exposure to the product or service the seller is offering, thus making acquiring new customers easy. It helps to expand the business to a broader audience.

‍

It makes small and local businesses reach a better audience benefitting the seller. It also enables the product to cross the geopolitical border and reach an international market.

‍

An increase in customer acquisition means an increase in sales also. In scenarios when it is tough to carry the inventory to other nations, the online space can be a wise choice. The product, if showcased satisfactorily, will enable the customers to opt for them.

‍

2. Increased Profit

The enhanced sales due to a better reach will increase the profit margin. In addition, the cost of setting up an online marketplace compared to a traditional store is very low, which is a good choice for the seller.

‍

3. Reduced Risk

The investment required to run an online marketplace is less than a traditional physical setup. Since the investment is less, the risk associated will be less. The online marketplace is scalable if the inventory is maintained properly. If the customer's demand is fulfilled, then this is the best option to sell the product or service.

‍

4. Easy to Start

One of the most significant advantages of an online Marketplace is the ease of starting a business on them. A traditional physical store needs to be identified in terms of cost, access and other features.

‍

But when it comes to an e-store, it can be easily hunted down by doing registration. The maximum one has to invest will be a meagre amount for the website and marketing. The online marketplace reduces the burden of investment on human resources.

‍

5. Available 24*7 on all days

This is an added advantage of an online marketplace that can be kept open at all times. If a customer also wants to shop for something at midnight, that option is available. As a result, even when you are offline, your store can continue to bring home profit once you have set it up at a reputable platform like the Fynd Platform.

‍

6. Better Control over Data Analytics

In an online marketplace, the seller has reasonable control over data logistics as it is mediated through software. Most of the manual work gets eliminated in the whole process, and the focus can be enhanced on the actual product.

‍

The buyer's interest and purchasing behaviour can also be tracked with the help of today's technology. When you have an idea of the customer behaviour, you can accurately place your product against the right target.

‍

7. Multiple Options for Payment and Secure Transactions

The online marketplace allows receiving payment through multiple options. Websites like Amazon have their payment systems, like Amazon pay. It has many offers and discounts that will tempt the buyer to purchase the product. The transactions are secure and happen through a portal which builds the trust level of the buyer.  

‍

8. Robust Digital Marketing Options

In today's world, the options for digital marketing are huge. From advertisements to SEO practices to utilizing social media accounts, there are multiple ways to talk about the product to your customers.  

‍

9. Healthier Inventory Management

In an online marketplace, the owner can partner with reliable vendors who can supply the products. This way, the owner doesn't have to think about the inventory or maintenance. Once an order is received, the owner can accept or reject it based on the product's availability.

‍

10. Offers Greater transparency

An online marketplace is open to the external world and hence is more transparent regarding the product, prices and stock levels. The buyers can read the reviews of each product, which builds the trust factor in them to shop from an online site.

‍

11. Build New relationships

Due to its increased exposure, Online Marketplace lets you tie up with new traders and suppliers. Moreover, being a part of reputed platforms help you earn the trust of customers too. You can eventually start an individual store once you have created a dedicated clientele through such a platform.

‍

12. Supports Brand Building

A keyword search on the search bar will portray the brand on the site, enhancing the visibility that may help develop it into a brand slowly. When your store becomes well-known to the clients, they are likely to search the platform for your brand. Moreover, from spaces like the Fynd Platform, you can have access to promotional tools that help with building the brand image.

‍

13. Fewer Restrictions

The online marketplace restricts sales of illegal and regulated items but has fewer rules to abide by. There are still many grey zones as far as online selling is concerned. As a result, your cost regarding legalities gets reduced.

‍

14. Less Maintenance Cost

The online marketplace is mostly hosted by cloud providers of big companies. Thus, they are protected against hacks or server issues. This is a huge relief compared to managing an independent online store. Such a store will require a dedicated maintenance team which not only gets hectic but rather costly for a start-up to handle.

‍

‍

How to choose the best online marketplace for your business niche?

An online marketplace is a feasible option to fetch considerable profits for the seller and an equally profitable opportunity for the buyer. It’s a win-win situation for both categories ensuring a healthy business environment.

‍

However, it is tricky to identify the best online marketplace for a particular business because of many similar options available in the open market. A thorough understanding of the business and market style is necessary to identify the right platform. This article will broadly discuss the checklist that needs to be ticked before selecting an online marketplace.

‍

1. Know your Business Approach

The primary step is to decide the type of approach the seller is planning. The two approaches that are undertaken are:

‍

• Starting a new business on the marketplace: Selling products on an online marketplace will be the best option for any local or small business if they are planning to target a wider audience.

‍

• Expanding existing online stores to marketplaces: Opting for an online marketplace is a wise decision to expand the product’s reach.

‍

2. Know your Business Type

There are various marketplaces for the type of business activity. It can be business to customer or business to business. The marketplace varies as per these categories. One must leverage the right marketplace as both categories have devoted spaces.

‍

Few marketplaces have both of these categories embedded in them, like Amazon. It is also recommended to opt for both types as the B2B model might lead to easy bulk orders from another business.

‍

The seller also needs to decide if they are planning for a retail or resale option as both have different marketplaces. Retail marketplaces are in high demand than the other. It must also be identified if one should focus on a product- or service-based marketplace, depending on the type of business one is aiming at.

‍

3. Know your buyer

This insight can be developed through rich data and research. You should clearly understand which marketplace has what type of visitors. It is necessary to know the type of visitor visiting the marketplace.

‍

For example, if you plan to put electronics on Alibaba, the chances of you getting good competition and sales are high as most of the customers visiting that site are in search of electronic products only.

‍

Essential Features of the Marketplace

Before choosing any marketplace, it must be ensured that it carries a few necessary features to ensure hassle-free business for both customers and sellers. The essential attributes that must be present in an online marketplace are:

‍

1. An accurate and Simple Dashboard:

A dashboard is one of the primary requisites to know the status and current trends in the business. It must have an online sales summary and a guide for configuring the online store. The dashboard must be easy to comprehend and appealing. The website must also provide performance data and other relevant information required to get an insight into the sales.

‍

2. Eye-catching Design:

‍The platform should be visually appealing and mobile-friendly. The customers usually do not browse on cluttered platforms and generally drop applications which are not mobile-friendly.

‍

3. Option for Marketing:

‍The platform should possess an option to run advertisements to target more audiences. An online channel diminishes the chances of recognition to the seller, which ultimately affects the seller's growth. Therefore, one should project their products where they allow sellers to use the website for advertising.

‍

4. Packaging and Shipping Option:

Ensure that the platform performs activities like packaging orders and shipping them to the desired location.

‍

5. Multiple Payment Option:

The marketplace must facilitate secure payment through multiple options.

‍

6. Dedicated Support System:

‍The site must have a dedicated support team available at all times.

‍

4. Know the Subscription Amount

Different marketplaces have different costs for their platforms. Various schemes can opt for essential and optional services. The marketplaces must be ranked based on the percentage of commission they charge, the amount of initial deposit to be paid, and the subscription fee to be paid. The recommended way is to shortlist a few marketplaces and then carefully analyse their plans to reach a specific marketplace.

‍

5. Develop a better understanding of your Product

Opening your retail store is not feasible, especially for products that fall under popular categories like clothing. They are markets of huge volumes with a massive supply chain cycle.

‍

Contrary to this, developing the brand from scratch in these marketplaces is a good decision if one plans to sell a niche product. It is highly recommended to churn out popular marketplaces based on your product.

‍

6. Know the Competition

This can be estimated by searching for the type of products one is planning to launch. One can put the product in the search category without the manufacturer name and see which platform pops up with good competitors' names.

‍

This way, one can identify which marketplace is ahead in the race concerning the product. Selecting a marketplace where there are no products in this category can also be an advantage, but it must be ensured that the audience is right for your product.

‍

7. Identify the Popularity of the Marketplace

Channels like Amazon, eBay, and Flipkart are a few of the top online shopping sites. They are an established brand with many customers visiting their sites every minute. They are the customer’s first choice when it comes to online shopping.

‍

Launching the product on a popular site ensures a loyal and broader customer base. This can enhance the popularity and sales of the product. Hence before opting for any marketplace, it is suggested to weigh the site's popularity. However, one must keep in mind that a popular marketplace will also have massive competition among sellers.

‍

8. Assistance in Logistics

One should select a marketplace that offers logistics assistance around the place where the warehouse is located. The seller must always narrow down to the site where they get help in logistics because if logistics-related problems are streamlined, the business can flourish in no time.

‍

9. Identify the terms and Conditions

Enlist your preferred marketplaces and look for terms and conditions mentioned in each for doing business. Identify the one that fits the best with your business and opt for them. It is preferred that before onboarding, reach out to the marketplace support team for clarity on their policies.

‍

‍

Top Online Selling Platforms in India

There are many online selling platforms in India which are coming up every day. To make an impact as a business, you must judicially choose the right platform to set up the store.

‍

Here we have listed some of the best online selling platforms in India which are popular and draw millions of customers in every niche to help you determine the best option for your business goals:

‍

1. Fynd Platform

‍

Fynd is an Indian e-commerce platform in the field of fashion headquartered in Mumbai. It was founded in 2012 as an offline store which later expanded to an online enterprise in 2015. It allows B2B and B2C transactions on the platform. It has onboarded more than 600 brands and has over 17 million users.

‍

The platform assists the seller in creating a website and other logistics also. The registration is free on the platform. The Fynd has two attributes- Fynd marketplace for vendors and Fynd Store for consumers. They have a mobile application that works on both android and IOS smartphones.

‍

You can easily start any kind of business with the help of Fynd Platform. The setup can be done in minutes. You can simply select your business goals and choose the subscription plan to set up the business. The dashboard is very simple and hence anyone can set up the store easily with basic knowledge of design.

‍

2. Amazon

‍

Amazon is now being used as a synonym for online shopping due to its popularity among its users. It is ranked among the top online marketplaces not only in India but across the globe. Amazon is an American multinational company that established its operations in India under the brand name Amazon India in 2013 and has a presence in more than 150 nations.

‍

Amazon has a strong 100 million loyal customers who are Prime members, and launching the product on such a platform will be a way to get exposed to this large audience. Amazon also verifies the sellers, thus eliminating the chances of fraud.

‍

It also offers delivery to specific locations on the same day as an add-on feature to its Prime subscribers. It offers great discounts and offers, thus enhancing traffic to the site. It is home to over six lakhs of small and big businesses and is expected to have more than 300 million visitors monthly.

‍

It also sells products under its brand name like the digital service of Prime, Kindle, products like Alexa etc. It offers products across different categories like electronics, fashion, books, sports, fitness, goods, groceries etc.  

‍

3. Snapdeal

‍

Snapdeal started its journey as a discount and coupon platform and gradually metamorphosed into an international online marketplace with more than 4 lakh sellers. This site is visited by over 55 million visitors every month and is one of the most popular sites in the electronics category.

‍

Apart from electronics, Snapdeal also has extended its service towards providing fashion, toys, cosmetic goods, and kitchen appliances. International investors like Alibaba fund Snapdeal. The process to get on-boarded is straightforward in Snapdeal; all one has to do is register and get their GSTN. The product catalogues can be created as a follow-up process.

‍

Snapdeal assists the seller in other operations like advertising, packaging, and shipping the product. It is a platform that has revolutionized the whole concept of the online marketplace and has a speedy delivery process. The registration process at Snapdeal is free, and one must have a PAN card, GST number and a Bank account to perform the registration.

‍

4. Flipkart

‍

Sachin and Binny Bansal founded Flipkart in 2007 and started this venture as an online bookstore. It gradually transformed into India’s top online marketplace with over 80 million products and over 240 million visitors every month.

‍

It offers products across different categories like electronics, fashion, books, sports, fitness, goods, groceries etc. Flipkart is the ideal option if one is looking to expand their business in India. To enrol as a seller on Flipkart, one must have a Flipkart Seller account, a PAN card, GST number and a bank account.

‍

The registration is free, and a commission in the range of 5% to 25% is charged based on the product. It has a vast customer base and is well known for its timely payment and pick-up services. Bollywood endorses this marketplace now and then due to its huge offers and discounts through initiatives like The Billion Days and Flipkart Fashion Sales.

‍

‍

Flipkart has a good brand image and is tied up with multiple vendors and courier services, ensuring that the top-quality product reaches the customer within the stipulated time

‍

5. Myntra

‍

Myntra is one of the popular online fashion destinations of the Indian consumer base. It excels in fashion, fashion accessories and home products. Myntra has dedicated in-house experts and technicians proficient in the field of fashion to extend support to the vendor.

‍

They assist in sales, management of the store and the whole supply chain management. Myntra takes care of the entire product marketing and sales, allowing the seller to focus on their product.

‍

If one wants to enrol as a seller in Myntra, they must have a legal entity along with a GST certificate, GSTIN Number, Pan Card and Myntra Seller Account. This platform doesn’t allow individual vendors to sell their products on the platform.

‍

The commission charged by Myntra depends on the type and brand of the product and ranges from 4% to 5%. The site receives around 50 million visits monthly and is a one-stop destination to meet all fashion and lifestyle needs

‍

6. PayTM Mall

‍

Started as an e-wallet and e-recharge service company in 2010, Paytm has transformed into a comprehensive platform with many services. It also allows consumers to pay their monthly bills or book tickets. It launched the Paytm Mall app in 2017, owing to the great success of Paytm.

‍

The Paytm Mall app has many different categories of products, from fashion to electronics to home decors. They also offer coupons that can be utilized to bag great discounts and offers on the orders.

‍

Paytm has onboarded more than 14 lakh sellers, and the site is visited by more than 30,000 consumers every month. There is no registration fee associated with Paytm, but it mandates that the seller must have a business name, bank account, PAN card and Paytm.

‍

7. Bigbasket

‍

Started by a group of young businessmen in 2011, Bigbasket is one of the largest online supermarkets that allows customers to go through a wide range of groceries and food items. It operates in metropolitan cities like Bangalore, Mumbai and Hyderabad.

‍

It offers more than 20,000 products and has onboarded more than 1000 brands. Tata Group acquired an excellent stake in Bigbasket in 2021. Bigbasket sells fruits and vegetables, groceries, beverages, dairy products, meat and other personal care items through a website or a mobile application. It has a considerable consumer base of over 10 million spread over 30 towns in India.

‍

The consumers are working or old aged or those who possess no time or energy to go to a store and stand in the queue to purchase the essential products. They also have the provision of express delivery that ensures the product reaches its destination within 90 minutes.

‍

8. eBay

‍

eBay is one of the ancient players in the world of e-commerce. It started its journey in 1995 as an auction website that gradually developed into an online marketplace. It has listed more than 1.5 billion listings, and the platform is visited by more than 36 million users globally every month.

‍

It serves as a platform for essential goods like apparel, shoes, accessories, books, business and Industrial, crafts, pet supplies etc. To enrol as a seller, one has to register on the platform with the help of a bank account.

‍

The commission is charged usually in the range of 10% to 12%, based on the product category. It is one of the highly recommended platforms for online sellers. eBay has an additional feature where one can surf the product available in their area by entering the PIN CODE.

‍

It also allows the selling of second-hand products, thus increasing the options for sellers and buyers. It supports both B2B and B2C transactions on its platform. It is an international platform spread over 180 countries.

‍

‍

9. Pepperfry

‍

Pepperfry is the most recommended marketplace based out of Mumbai for furniture and home decor. Ambareesh Murty and Ashish founded it in 2012. Pepperfry was awarded as one of the top ten start-ups by Entrepreneur Magazine in 2019.

‍

It is spread across 100 metropolitan cities like Bengaluru, New Delhi, Chandigarh, Pune etc. The warehouses are located in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Jodhpur and Delhi. The registration is free on this platform, and the seller is expected to pay the commission for the product that is sold online.

‍

The shipping and listing are taken care of by Pepperfry. Pepperfry is owned by Trendsutra Platform Services Private Limited and focuses on home decors like lights, furnishing, dining, kitchen appliances and many more.

‍

Pepperfry has more than 8 million registered users and follows an omnichannel strategy. This venture has both online and offline operations across India. The online venture has established a prominent position in the furniture industry.  

‍

10. BookMyShow

‍

Theatre booking and BookMyShow are alternatives in India, and the latter is one of India's top online ticket vendors. It was launched in 2007 by Ashish, Parikshit and Rajesh. It provides services in other nations like Sri Lanka, West Indies, UAE, Indonesia etc.

‍

It is a one-stop destination for booking entertainment like movies, plays, sports and selling fan items. BookMyShow is a perfect gateway to enter the world of entertainment.

‍

When COVID-19 hit the world, and entertainment suffered a shutdown, BookMyShow extended its service in the form of virtual games, e-sports and Stay-at-home activities. It ensured that during these challenging times also, the business must go on. BookMyShow has established itself among the top 40 largest websites to book tickets.

‍

11. 1mg

‍

Healthcare is one of human's primary goods with uneven and inequitable access. With an intent to make healthcare affordable and accessible to its consumers, Prashant Tandon, Gaurav Agarwal and Vikas Chauhan founded 1mg.

‍

Tata 1mg is an online healthcare platform that offers services like e-pharmacy, diagnostics, e-consultation and other health-related content. It also supplements by educating the consumer base through its portal and assists in verifying the medications that are prescribed.

‍

The product category involves nutrition supplements, healthcare devices, personal care, and products from other medicines like Ayurveda and Homeopathy. Since it's a medicinal product, one needs approvals at various levels to sell any product on 1mg.

‍

If the seller meets the essential requirements, then the product can be launched on the portal, making it visible to a large market. 1mg has more than 2 million monthly visitors and over five million application users.

‍

12. Nykaa

‍

Problems of an ordinary man is an opportunity for an entrepreneur, which caters to the rooting of an Indian e-commerce company, NYKAA, founded by Falguni Nayar in 2012. It is headquartered in Mumbai. Nykaa is a symbol of fashion, top-notch brands, and affordability.

‍

Nykaa became the first Indian unicorn start-up headed by a woman in 2020. Nykaa expanded from online-only to an omnichannel model and began selling products apart from beauty in 2015.

‍

It sells beauty, wellness and fashion products across websites, mobile apps and 100+ offline stores. It has onboarded 2000 brands, sells over 20 lakh products, and has an offline presence through 76 offline stores across the country.

‍

Around 5500000 people visit the Nykaa websites worldwide in a month; per minute, they sell 104 products, 72% of loyal customers repeat purchases within a month, and 30 beauty products.

‍

13. Meesho

‍

Meesho, short for 'My Shop, is an Indian E-commerce industry headquartered in Bangalore, Karnataka. Sanjeev Barnwal and Vidit Aatrey founded this social commerce platform in 2015 to facilitate small businesses. Through Meesho, any individual can trade from home at absolutely no cost.

‍

Y Combinator, an American technology start-up in 2016, selected three Indian companies, and Meesho was one of them. It now ranks as India's most popular online marketplace for resellers, where anyone can start their online business. Meesho enables small merchants to sell their products via social media channels.

‍

The business model of Meesho is B2C Current value of Meesho as per Valuation in March 2024 is five billion US dollars. Meesho focuses on tier 2 and 3 towns and claims to have more than 17 million resellers, 15 million of them are women. They also have 60,000 suppliers.

‍

14. Naaptol

‍

Naaptol is a home shopping company headquartered in Mumbai. Manu Agarwal founded it in 2008. Naaptol kicked off as product research and price comparison service. However, today, Naaptol sells various products like apparel, electronic items, home furnishings, kitchen appliances, etc.

‍

It is an alternate retail platform that is present across multiple forms of media to cater to a broad audience across the country. Naaptol follows the marketplace business model whereby it facilitates online and offline sales of third-party products to its customer base and handles customer service.

‍

The share capital of Naaptol is INR 6.50 crores as of the financial year 2021-22. Naaptol's operating revenues range is INR 100 - 500 crores in the same financial year. Naaptol uses Indian Postal Services for delivery. The site has over 90,000 visitors and allows transactions of more than 5,000 every day.

‍

15. TATA Cliq

‍

Tata Cliq, launched in 2016, is an e-commerce company owned by Tata digital limited and operated by Tata UniStore, Ltd. It is headquartered in Mumbai and is headed by Vikas Purohit, the company's CEO. Tatacliq is a general online store that offers customers various product ranges like Electronics and Media, Fashion, Footwear, Toys, DIY and Accessories.

‍

Tatacliq has partnered with Adobe for digital shopping. It has an omnichannel marketplace model that collaborates with over 1200 Indian brands. This platform has over 5 million monthly web visitors and is ranked among the world's top websites.

‍

To become a seller on this platform, one has to write a mail to the support services with essential information like the vendor's details, product category, brand name and location. If the seller meets the desired requirements, they will be notified of the agreement.  

‍

‍

16. Firstcry

‍

Firstcry is an Indian e-commerce platform that sells baby products. It is headquartered in Pune and has over 350 stores across India. It is a one-stop destination for baby, kids and maternity products developed under the guidance of a dedicated expert team.

‍

They have started a new venture entitled first cry parenting, which guides and advises to go through the whole journey of pregnancy and to parent with the help of articles and a question and answers section.

‍

It is spread over 125 cities and has a customer base of more than 4 million. The Firstcry Parenting has around 13 million users every month, making it one of the largest communities of parents in India. It offers huge discounts and cashback without compromising the quality, which makes it one of the favourite destinations for parents and kids.

‍

17. Grofers

‍

Grofers is one of the leading e-commerce businesses in India. The business started initially with just four delivery boys. Now the app has upgraded with time and turned into a fledged e-grocery delivery where you can find any household product of your requirement.

‍

Grofers can compete with the big companies in this business like the big baskets because of their quality service. Also, the delivery time is within 90 minutes which is a short delivery span compared to the other companies.

‍

They have a strong relationship with their supplier which permits them to work better on their operations. By becoming a seller on such a platform, you can gain more exposure to all types of grocery and food products.

‍

Grofers is constantly expanding its chain of suppliers to enable delivery within the minimum possible time. As a result, there is a lot of scope for local grocery storekeepers and similar business owners to maximize their exposure and sales.

‍

18. Limeroad

‍

Limeroad is a company that specifically sells women's dresses and accessories. They aim to deliver you premium quality fashion accessories and clothes within the convenient seating in your home. Indian women customers have a craze for new designer accessories but they also want their products to be delivered at an affordable rate.

‍

Lime road provides small businesses with new upcoming talents an opportunity and platform to sell their work. This way small businesses can have a good start in the market and get exposed to more customers. Also, another positive quality of this company is that they pay their vendors within 24 hours from the delivery of the product to the customer.

‍

19. Quikr

‍

Quikr is the first growing advertising app, founded in the year 2008. This company is an advertising platform where sellers post pictures of the items they want to sell. The items are described in detail and if anyone finds the ad interesting, they can directly contact the seller.

‍

Quikr is a free online selling platform which includes small regular items to real estate. Real estate is one of the most demanded products you can buy, rent and sell your apartment through quicker.

‍

As there is no middleman or broker involved in between so there is no requirement of paying any extra money to the broker. The main advantage of selling through Quikr is your profit gets maximized since there is no middleman. Moreover, anyone can sell anything they want through the platform

‍

20. Sarabai

They have created a commendable online presence in a very small amount of time. With over 9000 unique products, Salebhai has a prominent presence in almost every Indian state. They feature unique handicrafts and more from 300+ handpicked sellers noted for their quality.

‍

It goes without saying that to start selling at Salebhai, you must qualify for their stringent quality test. Their present list of sellers ranges from around 150 cities and they cater to 17 diaspora communities too.

‍

The main attraction of the platform is the diversity of the products. You can get things like sweets, snacks, bakery items, chocolates, art and handicrafts, antiques and much more all in one place here.

‍

For any small-scale business owners who specifically have locally made products, this is an ideal platform to start the business. The key is to maintain a quality standard that is acceptable for the platform.

‍

21. OLX

‍

It is one of the fast-growing online buying and selling platforms. With 8.5 million transactions every month OLX is leading in this business. The reason why OLX is thriving in this business is because of its goodwill and brand image in the market.

‍

It had a strong backup by Naspers so they had a good start as a company. Also, OLX has a bigger market share which is about 60%of the online market share and also has a huge range of products with easy availability.

‍

It is not only a perfect place for small business owners but also has many local job openings listed. You can easily find skilled workers and freelancers as well from this platform. This will help your business thrive better.

‍

22. Udaan

‍

Udaan is a Business-to-Business model of e-commerce meant for small and medium-sized businesses. This platform is designed to support traders and wholesalers of small businesses in India.

‍

It allows the exchange of products belonging to electronics, home, fruits and vegetables etc. Udaan started its journey in 2016 as a logistics platform for electronic products and is headquartered in Bengaluru.

‍

‍

The registration process is free and simple, making the onboarding process easy for the trader. They have an effective logistics system and a strong courier network that allows hassle-free business. This platform also funds the traders at a reasonable rate.

‍

This platform has around 1.5 Lakh traders and wholesalers onboarded from across India. The mobile application of this platform has over 23,000 downloads, and the website's popularity is also increasing daily.

‍

23. Alibaba

‍

Alibaba Group is a Chinese multinational company that excels in the e-commerce market for its electronic products and apparel. It was founded in 1999 and allows B2B, B2C and C2C types of businesses on its portal. It is entitled to be one of the largest e-commerce brands in the world.

‍

Alibaba connects the Indian suppliers with customers and businesses not only at a national level but across borders, thus enhancing the sales for the seller. The buyers from India can also purchase products from international sellers benefitting both parties.

‍

The platform has approximately 1.31 billion users as per the March 2024 data. The seller must register on the portal and go through the business verification process if they want to list the product on the platform. The commission will be charged based on the sale made on the portal.

‍

24. Tradeindia

‍

Tradeindia is a B2B model established in 1996 that supports small and medium-sized businesses and allows them to transact through the platform. It is one of the largest growing marketplaces with over 75 lakh registered users. Apart from the business, it also supports the users with payment protection plans, Logistics and loans.

‍

The expertise of this platform is marketing and offers excellent visibility of the products or services to the target audience. It's an international platform that allows global customers to locate Indian sellers. The registration process is free; the seller can register on the platform by filling out the registration form.

‍

25. ExportersIndia

‍

Exporters India is one of India's most significant B2-B business models that connect suppliers and buyers through an e-commerce platform. It supports the Indian traders in exploring the foreign market and allows them to display their products in an international market.

‍

The registration to the platform is free, and the seller can take up a membership based on their business. The platform has over 1.9 million visitors and is a reliable platform because of the seamless technology it offers. It was founded in 1997 and owned by Weblinkindia, a famous name in the e-commerce sector.

‍

26. ShopClues

‍

ShopClues is an Indian e-commerce platform with a Pan India presence for buying and selling products falling under the category of home and kitchen, fashion, electronics and daily use items. The platform has over 50 million registered users and 25 million monthly visitors. It also hosts more than 6 lakh traders selling over 28 million products.

‍

The registration onto the portal can be done by providing address, ID proof, details of business entity, bank details and GST details. Singapore-based e-commerce platform acquired ShopClues in 2019. Though many sellers feel the subscription rate is quite high but it is also one of the most thriving platforms for online start-ups.

‍

27. CraftFurnish

‍

CraftFurnish is an Indian online marketplace that aims to bring art and culture within everyone's reach. It started its journey in 2015 and hosts more than 700 traders on its platform today. The platform offers more than 28,000 products belonging to categories like Ethnic wear, handicrafts, home décor and lifestyle.

‍

The sellers get a golden opportunity to project their unique products on the website. If you are trying to sell exclusive products which are more on the creative side, this is the perfect platform for that.

‍

28. Craftsvilla

‍

Craftsvilla is an Indian online marketplace founded in 2011 by Monica and Manoj Gupta that is famous for ethnic, beauty, and handmade items. The platform is home to 25,000 sellers and hosts 3.5 million products. Craftsvilla has also expanded its product collection from the feminine category to men's wear.

‍

Is also a partner with the Ministry of textiles to support small weavers in marketing their handloom products. Suppose a seller wants to list their products on Craftsvilla. In that case, they must register on the platform and ensure to have business registration, VAT, Pan Card, Bank account and trademark registration. The platform charges a 20% commission per transaction from the seller.

‍

29. Facebook Marketplace

‍

Facebook marketplace is an online platform for Facebook users to sell their products, and this feature is an extension of Facebook into other segments. Anyone with an account on Facebook can see this icon where people can buy and sell products.

‍

The registration on Facebook is free, but one has to pay a 5% commission to Facebook for every sale as the seller fee. Facebook doesn't charge anything for listing the products on the site.

‍

The product categories that can be considered for Facebook Marketplace are apparel, toys, Electronica, handmade craft items, furniture etc. One of the significant advantages of this marketplace is that the process of selling and buying is straightforward.

‍

Facebook has over 2 billion daily users from seventy counties which is a considerable number, thus giving the product a broad reach. Facebook is a communication channel; hence it keeps the buyer and seller connected, yet safety concerns are associated with this platform.

‍

30. Shopify

‍

Shopify is an international e-commerce platform that started its journey in 2006. The portal hosts more than 1 crore businesses and is spread over 175 countries. The platform has a footfall of 1.16 billion visitors monthly and more than 2.1 billion daily active users.

‍

It is tagged as one of the most user-friendly platforms due to its simple and easy structure. The registration process is free; one can sell the products for free on Shopify for the first 14 days, and then a small amount needs to be paid.

‍

Shopify is one of the best options worth trying due to its global presence and broad customer exposure. There are many customizable options available for the sellers to launch their products, assuring satisfaction for all types of businesses.

‍

‍

31. Industrybuying

‍

One of the unique online platforms that offer to exchange a wide range of utility products for industrial purposes since 2013. They are tagged as pioneers in bringing e-commerce into India's industrial sector. Platform offers more than 1.5 lakh million products under more than 45 categories.

‍

They have over 5,000 registered sellers and more than 85,000 businesses, ranging from small and medium-sized to large corporates. To become a seller on this platform, one has to sign up for the franchise partner program and complete the verification process. This company is funded by various leading Indian and global investors and has a Pan India footfall.

‍

Conclusion

Online business is one of the most thriving segments these days as more and more business owners realize the potential of the segment. You can maximize your exposure and profit as a business owner by taking the help of online selling platforms.

‍

The Fynd platform is one of the best-selling platforms for budding business owners to set up any online business in minutes. From apparel to gadgets, you can set up an online business here and get significant traffic in very less time.

‍

Knowing all about the best online selling platforms will help you determine the best place to set up the business. When your platform is suitable, your business is bound to thrive faster.