“How much does an ecommerce website cost in India?” is the most common question we get. The honest answer: it depends on what you need. But vague answers don't help anyone, so here's a detailed breakdown based on real projects we've delivered in 2025 and 2026.
Starter Store (₹15,000 – ₹35,000)
Perfect for small businesses selling 10–50 products. You get a responsive storefront, product catalog, cart and checkout, UPI and card payment integration (Razorpay or PhonePe), basic SEO, and WhatsApp order notifications. Built on WooCommerce or a lightweight custom template. Timeline: 2–3 weeks.
Growth Store (₹40,000 – ₹1,00,000)
For businesses with 50–500 SKUs that need inventory management, discount coupons, shipping integration (Shiprocket, Delhivery), multi-payment gateway support, order tracking, and an admin dashboard. Usually built on Shopify or a custom Next.js + headless CMS setup. Includes proper SEO, schema markup, and Google Analytics. Timeline: 4–6 weeks.
Enterprise Commerce (₹1,50,000 – ₹5,00,000+)
Multi-vendor marketplaces, B2B portals, subscription boxes, or anything with complex business logic. Custom-built with Next.js, Node.js, and MongoDB. Features include advanced filtering, bulk ordering, role-based pricing, ERP/CRM integration, multi-warehouse inventory, and performance optimization for thousands of concurrent users. Timeline: 2–4 months.
Hidden Costs Nobody Tells You About
- Domain & Hosting — ₹2,000–₹10,000/year depending on traffic
- SSL Certificate — usually free with hosting, but EV certificates cost extra
- Payment Gateway Fees — 0% per transaction
- Annual Maintenance — ₹10,000–₹30,000/year for updates, backups, and minor changes
- Product Photography — ₹50–₹200 per product if done professionally
How to Budget Smart
Start with an MVP — launch with your best-selling 20 products, validate that customers actually buy online, then scale. Don't spend ₹3 lakh on features you might need “someday.” A good development partner will help you prioritize and plan in phases.