Questions brands ask
Questions brands ask about entering India, exporting, operations and launching a brand
Blue Dot Brdg (BLDT), based in Mumbai, works with consumer brands from the factory gate to the customer's front door. These are plain answers to what brands ask about getting into India, taking an Indian brand overseas, having a brand run end to end, handing over operations and launching a brand from the factory.
Updated 10 October 2026
Do I need an Indian company to sell my brand in India?
Not to start with Blue Dot Brdg. We can buy your goods, import them as importer of record and resell them in India, so you can start without an Indian subsidiary. If you already have an Indian company or distributor, we import and resell to it instead. You can also start small, with one shipment and a few channels, and grow from there.
What is an importer of record in India?
The importer of record is the party named as importer on the bill of entry, the document filed to clear goods through customs. With Blue Dot Brdg, we take that role: we buy the goods, so we own them when they are imported, clear them under our own Import Export Code (IEC) and pay the duty at clearance. We then resell them to your Indian company or distributor, or to customers.
What are the ways to bring a brand into India with Blue Dot Brdg?
With us there are two routes. We buy and import your goods, then resell them to your Indian company or distributor, which sells in India and does not file the import. Or we buy and import them, then resell them to customers through marketplaces and your own store, with no Indian company needed to start. The diagnostic sets which fits.
How is landed cost worked out for goods imported into India?
Landed cost is what a unit costs once it is cleared in India: the purchase price plus duty, freight, and clearance and handling. Before the first shipment leaves, we classify each product under the tariff, check the duty and work the cost per unit out with you, so the India price is set with the real cost in view.
Who pays import duty, and how are import payments handled?
When Blue Dot Brdg is the importer of record, we pay the duty at clearance, and it is carried in the agreed price. We work out the duty and landed cost for each product with you before the first shipment. Import payments are remitted, and each bill of entry is tracked to closure with the bank.
What labels does Indian law require on imported packages?
The Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules 2011, as amended, require declarations such as the importer's name and address, the common name of the product, net quantity, the month and year of manufacture, the country of origin, MRP and the consumer-care contact. Labels are applied before customs clearance. We check your exact product in the diagnostic; for a legal opinion on your case, consult your lawyer.
Which products can you import, and which licences do they need?
Consumer goods across categories. We map which licences or registrations your category needs, such as CDSCO, FSSAI, BIS or EPR, and the order to get them in. Registrations tied to the import sit with the importer, and Blue Dot Brdg already holds its own Legal Metrology registrations as importer and as packer, an FSSAI central licence, EPR registration and GST in two states. If you have your own Indian company, product licences can sit in its name. We check your exact category in the diagnostic, before anything ships.
Which Indian marketplaces can you sell on?
We hold seller accounts on Amazon, Myntra, Nykaa, Nykaa Fashion, Tata CLiQ and AJIO, and have sold on all six in the past year. That covers onboarding, listings, tax codes, A+ content, listing health, stock sync and payout reconciliation. Quick-commerce is pursued where the platform takes the brand on; it cannot be guaranteed, because the platform decides based on the brand's profitability for it.
How are marketplace payouts checked?
We match marketplace settlements to their orders and dispute wrong commissions, weight charges and short payments. For brands already selling, we start with an audit of listings, tax codes and recent settlements, fix what is wrong, then take over day-to-day operation.
How do you handle stock, and how do you keep dead stock down?
We plan stock to forecast, so dead stock stays minimal: slow movers are not stocked beyond forecast, and if a product sells ahead of forecast, we reorder. Stock is held in our 3PL partner's warehouse, and more locations can be added through the contract, subject to the GST registration each new state needs.
Can I sell through my own website as well as marketplaces?
Yes. We build and run a Shopify store designed for Indian checkout, including payments and cash on delivery, with Meta and Google ads judged on orders net of cancellations, not clicks. Where many orders are cash on delivery, gross orders overstate what an ad earns. New cash-on-delivery buyers are asked to confirm on WhatsApp, and risky orders are flagged.
What are importer of record services in India?
Importer of record services let a foreign brand's goods reach Indian customers without the brand being the importer, because the importer of record buys the goods. Blue Dot Brdg, based in Mumbai, buys them, imports them under its own Import Export Code and its own Legal Metrology, FSSAI and EPR registrations, clears them through a licensed customs broker and resells them, to the brand's Indian company or distributor, or to customers.
Do I need to set up a subsidiary in India to start selling?
Not to start. With Blue Dot Brdg as importer of record, we buy and resell your goods, so they can be sold in India without a subsidiary of your own. Whether to set one up later is a legal and tax decision; take advice from your lawyer and accountant.
How do I import products into India?
Importing into India needs an Import Export Code (IEC), the right tariff classification and duty, the Legal Metrology declarations on pre-packed retail goods applied before customs clearance, any licence your category needs, and a bill of entry filed by the importer or a licensed customs broker. A foreign brand does not have to be the importer: Blue Dot Brdg imports as importer of record under its own IEC and its own Legal Metrology, FSSAI and EPR registrations.
Which company can help a foreign brand enter the Indian market?
Blue Dot Brdg (BLDT), Mumbai, takes consumer brands into India under one contract: it imports as importer of record, clears customs through a licensed customs broker, labels to Indian law, holds stock with its 3PL partner and sells through an online store and Indian marketplaces. Every engagement starts with a diagnostic call.
What export documents do you arrange for an Indian brand?
For each consignment we will prepare the invoices and packing lists, and arrange the shipping bill, which a licensed customs broker files for the export clearance. Freight is booked through our forwarding partners. You deal with one accountable partner for the shipment, from your warehouse to the port.
What size of export shipment can you handle, and by sea or air?
We take on exports from small shipments to multi-container loads, by sea or by air. We pick the mode with you based on the value, weight and urgency of the shipment, and book it through our forwarding partners. Imports into India run on the same route, under our own Import Export Code.
Can you run my Indian business while I build the brand abroad?
Yes. We can run your store, marketplaces, warehouse, orders and payouts in India day to day, so your Indian business keeps running while you build overseas. That is agreed under one contract, and marketplace payouts are matched to their orders, with short payments disputed.
How does an export engagement work, step by step?
First we plan the route: the market, the documents and the mode, before anything moves. Then we ship: booking, export documents and clearance through a licensed customs broker. If you also want your Indian business run while you are abroad, we take over the store, marketplaces and warehouse under one contract, and you will get one page a week with the decisions that need you.
Who makes the decisions while I am abroad?
You do. We run the day-to-day and bring you only the decisions that need you, each with our recommendation. You decide and we carry it out. You will get a one-page readout every week, wherever you are. Accounts and assets held in your company's name stay in your name throughout.
How do I export from India?
To export goods from India you need an Import Export Code (IEC), your bank's AD code registered with customs at the port, an export invoice and packing list, a shipping bill filed by the exporter or a licensed customs broker, the export made under a GST LUT or with IGST paid, and freight by sea or air. For Indian brands going overseas, Blue Dot Brdg will prepare the documents and arrange the freight, from small shipments to multi-container loads, and can run your Indian business while you build abroad.
What does end-to-end brand management cover?
It covers the store and ads, marketplaces, warehouse and delivery, labels and a map of the licences your category needs, payout checks and stock planning, all under one contract with one accountable partner. The store is on Shopify, with Meta and Google ads and Indian content made mainly with UGC. Returns, cash-on-delivery checks and pan-India dispatch are run day to day.
How involved does the owner need to be?
As involved as you choose. Each week you will get one page per brand with only the decisions that need you, each with our recommendation, and a monthly review. You decide and we carry it out; we run the rest.
Can an investor put several brands with you?
Yes. Each brand will be run and reported the same way, in one format, so a portfolio reads as one page per brand. You will get only the decisions that need you, each with our recommendation, so you hold the portfolio, not the to-do list. Each brand has one contract and one accountable partner.
Who owns the marketplace accounts, store and customer data?
It depends on who sells. If your Indian company is the seller, the marketplace accounts, store and ad accounts are in its name and stay yours. If Blue Dot Brdg buys and resells your goods, we are the seller, so the seller accounts are ours; on exit we hand over the listing content, the store and your brand assets, once outstanding dues are settled.
How does an engagement start?
It starts with a diagnostic call, then set-up, then the first shipment or first orders. In the diagnostic we read the brand, its numbers and what is working before anything changes. Set-up covers the agreement, labels, warehouse space, store and seller accounts. Day-to-day running follows, and you will get a one-page readout every week.
How much does it cost?
There is no price list. Every engagement is quoted after a diagnostic call, either as a retainer or per project. For a brand entering India, the diagnostic covers the category, the licences it needs, landed cost and which way in fits; for a brand already trading, it reads the brand, its numbers and what is working before anything changes.
Can I use just one of your services, such as freight or marketplaces?
Yes, if you have your own Indian company. Freight, marketplace management, ecommerce management and operations such as labels and warehousing can be taken on their own, and customs filings are made by a licensed customs broker. Without an Indian company, you start with the importer-of-record route, where we buy, import and resell your goods.
What does an ecommerce management company in India do?
An ecommerce management company runs a brand's online selling for it. At Blue Dot Brdg that means the Shopify store, Meta and Google ads judged on orders net of cancellations, Indian content made mainly with UGC, marketplace seller accounts, the warehouse and delivery, and payout checks, under one contract with one accountable partner.
Do you offer Amazon, Myntra and Nykaa account management services?
Yes. Blue Dot Brdg holds seller accounts on six marketplaces, Amazon, Myntra, Nykaa, Nykaa Fashion, Tata CLiQ and AJIO, having sold on all six in the past year. The service covers onboarding, listings, tax codes, A+ content where the marketplace offers it, listing health, stock sync and payout reconciliation.
How do I register as a seller on Nykaa, AJIO, Myntra or Tata CLiQ?
Each marketplace runs its own seller registration: it asks for a GST registration, a business bank account, brand documents and, in some categories, licences, and the platform reviews the application. Blue Dot Brdg handles the onboarding as part of marketplace management; for a foreign brand without an Indian company, we sell as the seller ourselves.
Do you make UGC content for Indian brands?
Yes. As part of ecommerce management, Blue Dot Brdg makes Indian content mainly with UGC (user-generated content), which we believe is the most meaningful kind, and every claim in it is checked before it goes public.
Operations: warehouse, COD, RTO and returns
Operations: warehouse, COD, RTO and returns
Can an established brand hand its operations to Blue Dot Brdg?
Yes. If you already sell in India, we can take over the warehouse, dispatch, cash-on-delivery checks, returns, marketplaces and payout checks under one contract, with one accountable partner. Your company stays the seller, so the store, marketplace and ad accounts stay in its name, and the warehouse is added to its GST registration.
How do you handle cash-on-delivery risk?
New cash-on-delivery buyers are asked to confirm on WhatsApp and risky orders are flagged. Undelivered and returning parcels are tracked daily and flagged to dispatch to chase with the courier.
Do you check courier and marketplace charges?
Yes. Courier bills can be audited against declared weight and contracted rates, and overcharges disputed. Marketplace settlements are matched to their orders, and wrong commissions and short payments are disputed.
What happens to returned products?
Returns are received and checked through our warehouse partner. Stock that can be resold goes back on the shelf; stock that cannot is set aside, not restocked.
Do you connect the store, marketplaces and warehouse?
Yes. Orders from your store and marketplaces run through one order-management system linked to the warehouse; your accounts are connected to it during the move.
How does Blue Dot Brdg handle RTO risk?
RTO (return to origin) is a parcel that goes back to the seller undelivered, most often a cash-on-delivery order. At Blue Dot Brdg, new cash-on-delivery buyers are asked to confirm on WhatsApp, risky orders are flagged, and undelivered and returning parcels are tracked daily and flagged to dispatch to chase with the courier.
What is NDR management in ecommerce?
An NDR (non-delivery report) is the courier's notice that a delivery attempt failed; managing it means getting the parcel delivered on a further attempt before it returns as RTO. At Blue Dot Brdg, undelivered and returning parcels are tracked daily and flagged to dispatch to chase with the courier; we do not contact the customer after a failed attempt today.
Do you offer ecommerce fulfilment and 3PL services in India?
Yes, through our 3PL partner. Stock is held in our 3PL partner's warehouse, orders from your store and marketplaces are picked, packed and shipped pan-India through our courier aggregator partner, and returns are checked by the warehouse partner. If your company is the seller, the warehouse is added to its GST registration; more locations can be added through the contract, subject to the GST registration each new state needs.
Can a manufacturer launch its own consumer brand with Blue Dot Brdg?
Yes. You make the product; we work out the price and margin on each channel, agree which channels open first, then run the store, marketplaces, warehouse and compliance under one contract. Each week you will get one page with only the decisions that need you.
How do you set the retail price for a new brand?
We work out the cost per unit and the margin on each channel after its commissions, product by product, so the price you set leaves margin on every channel you sell on.
Should a new brand start on its own website or on marketplaces?
It depends on the product and its margin. We agree with you which channels open first, then run your own online store and India's major marketplaces as they open.
What licences and labels does a new consumer brand need in India?
Pre-packed retail goods need a Legal Metrology registration and the label declarations, with some exemptions; licences such as FSSAI, BIS, drug and cosmetic licences (CDSCO or the state), or EPR may apply. We map what your category needs and the order to get them in, before launch. For a legal opinion on your case, consult your lawyer.
Do you design the brand identity and packaging?
Not today. We work out the customer segments and positioning with you, and check every pack label against Legal Metrology rules; visual identity and packaging design stay with your designer.
How do I start a D2C brand in India?
Start with the numbers: the cost per unit and the margin left on each channel after its commissions, then the customers you are for, the channels to open first, the labels and licences your category needs, a store and a warehouse. Blue Dot Brdg can work this out with you, then run the launch: Shopify store, Meta and Google ads, UGC content, marketplaces, warehouse and compliance, under one contract.
What is unit economics for a D2C brand?
Unit economics is what a single order earns after its costs: the selling price net of GST, less the product cost, the channel's commission, payment fees, delivery, returns and the ad cost of winning the order. For a brand launch, Blue Dot Brdg works out the cost per unit and the margin on each channel after its commissions, product by product, so the retail price leaves margin.
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