Ecommerce Business Setup Checklist
Everything to sort out before you start selling online in India: business structure, PAN and GST, trademark and brand protection, marketplace registration, and the footwear-specific labeling rules sellers most often miss. Tick items off as you go.
What to keep ready before you start
Having these on hand makes most of the items below a five minute task instead of a scavenger hunt.
- PAN card (yours, and your business's if incorporated)
- Aadhaar card
- Business address proof (electricity bill, rent agreement, or an NOC from the owner)
- Bank account details or a cancelled cheque
- Passport-size photographs
- Partnership deed or MOA and AOA, only if registering a Partnership, LLP, or Pvt Ltd
- Digital Signature Certificate (DSC), only if registering an LLP or Pvt Ltd
- Brand name and logo, if you already have one picked out
Legal structure & identity
The foundational registrations every seller needs, regardless of what or where you sell.
- Choose a business structure (Proprietorship, Partnership, LLP, or Private Limited)mandatorySome structure is always required. Which one is the real decision here.
- PAN card, business or proprietor'smandatoryNeeded for every tax and marketplace registration that follows.
- Aadhaar e-KYC for proprietor or directorsmandatoryRequired for most government and marketplace onboarding steps.
- Current account in the business's namemandatoryMarketplaces pay out to a business account, not a personal savings account.
- Digital Signature Certificate (DSC)situationalOnly if registering an LLP or Private Limited company.
- Certificate of IncorporationsituationalOnly applies to LLP or Private Limited, not a proprietorship.
Brand & IP
Protecting the name and identity you are about to spend money building.
- Business name availability check (MCA and trademark search)recommendedDo this before you commit to a name, invest in branding, or print packaging.
- Trademark registration, Class 25 for footwear and apparelrecommendedNot legally required, but filing starts your protection even though full registration takes 12 to 24 months.
- Domain name and business emailrecommendedinfo@yourbrand.com reads more credibly than a personal Gmail address.
- Copyright for logo or original designssituationalOptional, worth it if your designs are genuinely distinctive.
Tax & compliance
The registrations that determine whether you can legally invoice, ship, and get paid.
- GST registrationmandatoryRequired for marketplace selling regardless of turnover, and required past the general threshold for direct sales too.
- Udyam (MSME) registrationrecommendedUnlocks loan schemes and some marketplace fee benefits.
- Shop & Establishment license (Gumasta in Maharashtra, equivalents elsewhere)situationalRequired in most states if you have a physical shop, office, or warehouse.
- Professional tax registrationsituationalRequired in certain states only, check your state's rule.
- Import Export Code (IEC)situationalOnly required if you plan to export.
Marketplace & selling setup
What each channel actually asks for before you can list your first product.
- Marketplace seller accounts (Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Ajio, Nykaa Fashion)mandatoryEach needs your GSTIN, PAN, bank account, and a cancelled cheque.
- Payment gateway KYC (Razorpay, PayU, or similar)mandatoryRequired if you take checkout payments on your own website.
- Return, refund, and shipping policy pages on your websitemandatoryBuyers expect these, and payment gateways often require them during their own KYC.
Footwear & apparel specific
The rules specific to physical product sellers that are easy to miss.
- BIS certificationsituationalOnly mandatory for specific notified or safety footwear categories, not general fashion footwear. A common point of confusion.
- Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) compliancemandatoryMRP, net quantity, and manufacturer or packer details must appear on packaging and labels.
- Size chart and labeling standardsrecommendedNot required by law, but marketplaces increasingly expect it and buyers rely on it.
- A good, creative product photoshootrecommendedFirst impressions decide clicks and conversions. Jynzi's EcomFlash creates studio-quality creative and AI model photography at a fraction of the cost of a traditional shoot.
Frequently asked questions
What is Jynzi?
Jynzi is an ecommerce strategy, consulting, and AI tools company built for Indian D2C brands and marketplace sellers. Alongside free tools like this one, we help sellers launch, manage, and grow across Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Ajio, and their own website, combining hands on consulting with practical AI powered tools.
Do I need to complete every item before I start selling?
No. The Mandatory items are the ones you genuinely cannot sell without, GST registration for marketplace selling being the biggest one. Recommended and Situational items matter for specific setups, brand protection, exports, or a physical premises, so work through those based on your own business, not as a blanket requirement.
Is GST registration really mandatory even if my turnover is small?
For marketplace selling, yes. Amazon, Flipkart, and Myntra all require a valid GSTIN before they will let you list, regardless of the usual turnover threshold that applies to other businesses. Selling only through your own website follows the general threshold rules instead.
What is the actual difference between Mandatory, Recommended, and Situational?
Mandatory means the law or the marketplaces require it, full stop. Recommended means it is not legally required but skipping it creates real risk or cost later, trademark registration being the clearest example. Situational means it only applies depending on your business structure, state, or whether you export, so check whether it applies to you specifically.
How long does trademark registration actually take?
Full registration commonly takes 12 to 24 months in India, but filing the application itself is what starts your legal protection and gives you the right to use the TM symbol while it is pending. Waiting until a brand is already established makes the name harder to defend, so earlier filing is generally safer.
Do I need a lawyer or CA to work through this checklist?
You can complete several items yourself, like GST registration and Udyam registration, both of which have straightforward government portals. A CA is worth it for choosing the right business structure and ongoing tax filing, and a trademark agent or IP lawyer is worth it once you are ready to register a brand name.
How can I get the best photo shoot done?
Good product photography is one of the highest-leverage things you can do before you launch, it directly affects clicks and conversion on every marketplace and on your own site. Jynzi's EcomFlash creates creative and AI model photography at a fraction of the cost of a traditional studio shoot, or you can connect with the Jynzi team directly and we will handle the shoot end to end for you.
Can I get help launching my ecommerce business?
Yes. Jynzi's consulting team offers end to end support for launching an ecommerce business, from choosing the right structure and getting your registrations sorted, to building your website, listing on marketplaces, and managing your store as you grow. Book a free consultation below and we will map out exactly what you need.
Need help launching your ecommerce business?
We provide end to end ecommerce launch, website, and marketplace listing and management services, so you can grow seamlessly across every channel. Book a free consultation and we will map out your next steps together.