Flipkart vs Amazon for New Indian Sellers: Where Should You Launch First?
5 min read · 4 September 2026 · Calium Seller Services
Commission structures, buyer demographics, fulfilment models and ad costs compared — with a recommendation by category.
The short answer
Fashion, home and value electronics: Flipkart first. Books, premium electronics, beauty and anything with a brand story: Amazon first. Everything else: launch both within 30 days of each other.
Fees
Amazon India referral fees range from 2% to 15% by category, plus closing fees and FBA/Easy Ship fees. Flipkart charges commission, collection fee, fixed fee and shipping fee — combined they are often 2–4% lower for fashion.
Buyers
Flipkart skews Tier-2/Tier-3 and mobile-first. Amazon has stronger Prime loyalty in metros and higher average order values.
Fulfilment
FBA vs Flipkart Smart Fulfilment — both boost visibility badges. Start with self-ship on one platform to control costs, then move your top 20% SKUs into fulfilment.
Our recommendation
Don't pick — sequence. We launch clients on their primary platform in week one and the secondary platform in week three so catalog assets are reused.
Need this done for you?
Talk to a Calium consultant.