How to start selling t-shirts online in India

Printed t-shirts are one of the easiest categories to start in India because the barrier to entry is low, but that also means the market is full of low-effort stores. What separates a t-shirt brand that sells from one that doesn't is usually a clear design point of view — a theme, a joke, a city, a fandom — rather than a random mix of graphics with no thread connecting them.

Decide what you're selling first

Choose a theme for your first drop: it could be typography around a regional language, minimalist line art, a niche hobby, or humour aimed at one specific group of people. Launch with five to eight designs in two or three colourways rather than trying to cover every theme at once, since a focused drop is easier to market as "the thing" your brand stands for.

Sourcing or making it

Decide between screen printing, DTG (direct-to-garment), and vinyl/heat-transfer based on your order volume and budget — screen printing needs a minimum quantity per design but is cheaper per piece, while DTG lets you print one t-shirt at a time, which suits testing new designs before committing to bulk. Order fabric samples of the blank t-shirt first: check GSM (weight), whether it's combed cotton or a blend, and how it holds up after a wash, since a good print on a poor blank still feels cheap. If you're outsourcing printing, ask for one physical sample of the final print before approving a full batch, because colours often shift between screen and print.

Photos and descriptions

Shoot the design flat-laid with even lighting so the artwork is crisp and true to colour, then shoot it worn so buyers can judge fit and drape. Zoom in on the print itself in at least one photo, since buyers want to see whether it's a smooth print or a cracked, cheap-feeling one. In the description, mention the print method, the fabric GSM, and wash instructions (cold wash, inside out, no direct ironing on the print) — this single detail reduces "print faded after one wash" complaints more than anything else.

Pricing, packaging and shipping

Price to cover the blank, the print cost per design, and the fact that unsold designs sitting as inventory cost you money every month, so keep your first batch small per design and reorder what sells. Pack t-shirts folded in a poly mailer rather than a box wherever possible, since t-shirts don't need rigid protection and a mailer is both cheaper to ship and kinder to the environment. Slip a small care card inside reminding buyers to wash the print inside-out, since this single line prevents a chunk of your return and complaint volume.

Getting your first ten orders

Post the design process, not just the finished product — a time-lapse of the artwork being made or the print being pulled off the screen tends to get shared more than a plain product photo. Reach out to a few micro-communities relevant to your theme (a college group, a regional-language page, a niche hobby forum) and offer them a small discount code, since a t-shirt with a specific theme sells fastest to the exact audience that theme is made for. Ask your first few buyers for a photo wearing it and repost with credit, because seeing the t-shirt on a real, ordinary person converts better than a studio shot for this category.

Once you have a few designs selling steadily, a store of your own with UPI and Cash on Delivery through Varchas Stores gives you a proper storefront without the setup work of building one yourself.

Your next step: finalise one theme, get three designs printed as samples, and wear-test them yourself for a week before you launch.

Get early access to set up your store.