Here is an example. Say you make oud perfumes in Dubai. Indian visitors buy them in your shop every winter, and some message you afterwards to ask where they can buy them back home. So you open Amazon.in, ready to sign up and send stock to India.
That is where most Gulf brands hit the first wall. A company in the UAE or Saudi Arabia can’t sell straight to Indian shoppers on Amazon, Flipkart or the quick-commerce apps. You need someone in India to be the seller.
The demand is real, though. In May 2026, Amazon India said that Middle Eastern fragrances had grown about three times in a year on its store. Here is how Gulf brands actually get into India.
Why you can’t sell directly
Amazon says it plainly on its page for overseas brands: Indian rules don’t allow a company based abroad to sell straight to Indian consumers online.
Every Indian marketplace asks the seller for:
- an Indian GST number;
- a PAN (India’s tax ID);
- a bank account in India, in the business’s name.
On Amazon, if you use its Easy Ship delivery, your pickup address must also be in the same state as your GST registration. In practice, all of this means a business registered in India.
The three routes that work
Amazon’s page lists three, and the same three work on Flipkart and the quick-commerce apps.
1. An Indian importer or distributor. An Indian company buys your stock, imports it under its own papers, and lists it as the seller, with a letter from you authorising it to sell your brand.
- Good for: testing India without setting anything up.
- Watch out for: you give up control of prices and listings, and the importer takes a margin. Choose a partner who already sells on the platforms you care about.
2. A seller partner found through Amazon. Amazon says it connects international brands with Indian sellers who list their products and use its warehouses. It also lists trade-compliance consultants on its Service Provider Network who can help with the paperwork.
- Good for: Amazon first, with help close at hand.
- Watch out for: the same as above. It is still someone else’s account.
3. Your own Indian company. You set up a company in India. It imports your goods, registers for GST and sells under your name.
- Good for: brands that plan to stay. You own the account, the reviews and the customers.
- Watch out for: India’s foreign investment rules for single-brand retail. Foreign brands can own all of their Indian company, and can sell online before opening shops, but must open physical stores within two years, and there are rules on buying from India. Take advice from an Indian lawyer before you start.
What importing into India involves
Whoever imports your goods will deal with these. Ask about each one before you agree on prices.
- An Importer Exporter Code (IEC), which the importer must hold.
- Customs duty, plus IGST on top. The rate depends on the product’s HS code.
- Indian label rules. Packs sold in India must show the importer’s name and address, the MRP including all taxes, the net quantity, the month and year, the country of origin and a customer-care contact. Your Gulf packs will need a sticker or a new label.
- Licences for some categories:
- food needs FSSAI import clearance and FSSAI details on the label;
- cosmetics must be registered with India’s drug regulator, CDSCO, before they can be imported;
- electronics, toys and many other products need BIS certification if they fall under India’s quality control orders.
Do trade deals lower the duty?
- From the UAE: the India-UAE trade agreement (CEPA), in force since May 2022, cuts Indian duty on many goods made in the UAE. The goods must meet its rules of origin, with at least 40% of their value added in the UAE, and come with a certificate of origin. A perfume blended in Dubai from imported oils may not qualify, so check with a customs broker.
- From Saudi Arabia: there is no trade agreement with India yet, so normal duty applies. India and the Gulf Cooperation Council have started talks on one.
Quick commerce: Blinkit, Zepto and Instamart
The quick-commerce apps ask for the same Indian business, GST and PAN, plus your trademark certificate or a brand authorisation letter, and FSSAI for food. They also want stock in their warehouses in each city, so they suit brands with an Indian partner who can supply them often. Our guide to the documents Blinkit asks for shows what to expect.
Where we come in
We set up and run Amazon, Flipkart and quick-commerce accounts for brands, and have managed client accounts for years. So we know where foreign brands lose time in India: a label that misses the MRP, a listing written for Gulf shoppers rather than Indian ones, an importer who doesn’t know how the platforms work.
We are not an importer, and we don’t handle customs or company registration. Once your Indian partner or company is in place, we can get you live on Amazon, Flipkart and the quick-commerce apps, with listings, images and A+ content made for Indian shoppers, and then run the accounts week to week.
If you start one thing this month, start the search for your Indian partner. Every other step depends on who that is.
