Go global, cross-border

Where to sell abroad first, and how to ship and get paid across borders.

What founders use for go global, cross-border, ranked by how many answers lean on it.

  1. Features Tilfi Banaras founder Udit Khanna on scaling a luxury Indian textile brand to 30+ countries via direct-to-consumer,... inc42.com Article #GoingD2C Webinars: An Indian D2C Brand's Guide to Tap the Cross-Border Opportunity Inc42
  2. A structured resource specifically aimed at Indian D2C founders building a cross-border strategy, not a generic global guide... inc42.com Article Hacking D2C Growth: A D2C Brand's Guide to a Cross-Border Ecommerce Strategy Inc42
  3. An unfiltered founder account of hitting $1M revenue on a Shopify D2C brand with zero profit, the exact cautionary tale for... indiehackers.com Thread $1M Revenue, $0 Profit: Our D2C Reality Check Indie Hackers community
  4. Weekly founder interviews on real launches, growth and international scaling, the closest thing to sitting in on another D2C... podcasts.apple.com Podcast Shopify Masters Shopify
  5. Shopify's own take on freight forwarding, written specifically for ecommerce sellers rather than generic B2B trade, useful for... shopify.com Article Best Freight Forwarding Services for Ecommerce (2026 Guide) Shopify
  6. Written from a fulfillment-provider's vantage point for sellers moving inventory into marketplaces like Amazon FBA abroad, the... amzprep.com Article Freight Forwarder: A Comprehensive Guide for eCommerce Sellers AMZ Prep
  7. A practical support-doc-level explainer of how duty calculation actually plugs into Shopify Markets via a third-party shipping... support.easyship.com Article Shopify Duties and Taxes Support (Shopify Markets) Easyship
  8. Aimed squarely at smaller ecommerce sellers rather than enterprise shippers, a good level-set on international shipping basics... ship4wd.com Article Master E-commerce International Shipping: A Guide for SMBs Ship4wd
  9. The origin-story companion to the tactical playbook, it shows the insight behind a 'Made in India, for the world' brand (India... yourstory.com Article How a Delhi Entrepreneur Built Vahdam, an Indian Tea Brand That Sells to the World YourStory (SMBStory)

The questions

Selling internationally: start here 7

Where to sell abroad first, and why.

I want to sell my brand internationally, where do I even begin? 4 → Should I start with a marketplace like Amazon Global, my own Shopify store, or both? 4 → Which country should I target first, US, UK, or the UAE / Middle East? 4 → What paperwork and licenses do I actually need to export from India? 4 → Do I need to register a company or entity in the destination country to sell there? 4 → All 7 questions in Selling internationally: start here →
Amazon Global & marketplaces 6

Reach US/UK/UAE buyers via marketplaces.

How do I actually start selling on Amazon in the US, UK or UAE from India? 4 → Amazon FBA vs self-ship (MFN) for global selling, which should I pick first? 3 → What does Amazon's Propel accelerator actually give me, and is it worth applying? 3 → Which Amazon marketplace should I list on first, US, UK, UAE or somewhere else? 4 → How do reviews, pricing and returns even work when I have no local address or team abroad? 3 → All 6 questions in Amazon Global & marketplaces →
International D2C (Shopify Markets) 6

Sell your own store to the world.

Should I run separate Shopify stores per country, or use Shopify Markets on one store? 3 → How do I show local currency, language and payment methods without building N different websites? 3 → What's Shopify Markets Pro / Managed Markets, and do I actually need it as a smaller brand? 3 → How did an Indian brand like Tilfi Banaras sell direct to 30+ countries from its own store? 3 → How do I handle duties and taxes at checkout so international customers don't get a surprise bill? 3 → All 6 questions in International D2C (Shopify Markets) →
Export docs, IEC & compliance 6

IEC, HS codes, and staying legal to export.

What's the very first paperwork I need before I ship one export order out of India? 4 → What is an HS code and how do I find the right one for my product? 4 → What's the difference between RoDTEP and duty drawback, and do I need to apply for both? 3 → What do DDP and DDU/DAP mean, and which should I choose at checkout? 3 → Do I need an LUT to avoid paying IGST upfront on export orders? 3 → All 6 questions in Export docs, IEC & compliance →
International shipping & fulfillment 6

Get products across borders profitably.

Should I self-ship each order internationally, use a courier aggregator like Shiprocket X, or hold stock abroad via FBA? 3 → What's a freight forwarder and when do I actually need one instead of a courier? 3 → DDP or DDU, who should pay the customs duty, my brand or my customer? 3 → How do I estimate the real landed cost before I promise a delivery date and price? 3 → What's the actual shipping cost and timeline gap between India Post and modern cross-border couriers? 3 → All 6 questions in International shipping & fulfillment →
Cross-border payments & pricing 6

Get paid abroad and price for each market.

What's the cheapest, fastest way for an Indian exporter to actually receive USD/GBP payments? 2 → Payoneer vs Wise vs Razorpay/Skydo, which should I use to get paid by international customers? 2 → Do I need an FIRC/FIRA for every international payment, and why does it matter? 3 → How do I price the same product differently for the US, UK and UAE without looking inconsistent? 3 → What RBI/FEMA rules do I actually need to know as a D2C exporter accepting foreign payments? 3 → All 6 questions in Cross-border payments & pricing →
eChai Partner Brands The partnership →