Get legal & compliant

Register, get GST-ready, protect your name, and clear the licenses you need to sell.

What founders use for get legal & compliant, ranked by how many answers lean on it.

  1. Good for the real enforcement examples, naming actual Indian brands fined for 'natural'/'chemical-free' claims that didn't hold... Outlook Business Article ASCI Moves To Curb Greenwashing With New Guidelines Outlook Business
  2. Explains why FSC certification is becoming the de facto global entry ticket for exporters, one certification that satisfies... Holidaypac Article 2026 Navigating Global Compliance: Why FSC Certification Is the New Standard for Sustainable Packaging Holidaypac
  3. A single reference comparing FSC, SFI, PEFC, and Cradle to Cradle certifications side by side, useful for an exporter deciding... PackageTheWorld Article Sustainable Packaging Certifications Guide: FSC to C2C PackageTheWorld
  4. Written from a payments-platform angle, so it's specific about what a GSTIN unlocks for online sellers, settlement, invoicing,... Paytm Article GST Registration Online Process, Documents, Fees in 2026 Paytm Blog
  5. Honestly answers the very first question every bootstrapped founder asks, including the narrow legitimate cases where you can... Razorpay Article How to Sell Online Without GST Number in India? Razorpay Learn
  6. Place of supply is the concept that decides IGST vs CGST+SGST on every order, this explains the delivery-location rule with... ClearTax Article Place of Supply of Goods ClearTax
  7. The clearest breakdown of the four GST components and how input credit flows between them, foundational reading before you look... ClearTax Article Types of GST: What is SGST, CGST, IGST and UTGST? ClearTax
  8. A tight side-by-side of interstate vs intrastate supply with rate examples, the fastest way to sanity-check whether an order... ClearTax Article Interstate and Intrastate GST: Meaning, Rate, Examples, Differences ClearTax
  9. Written from an accounting-software lens, it shows how place of supply is configured on real invoices, handy if you'll run... Zoho Books Article GST | Place of Supply Zoho Books (Zoho Finance)
  10. Explains TCS under Section 52, what the marketplace deducts, how it hits your ledger and how you reclaim it, so the payout... ClearTax Article GST Registration for Ecommerce Collecting TCS under GST ClearTax
  11. Goes deeper than the usual 'yes you need a GSTIN per state' answer, citing an AAR ruling to show it's genuinely case-by-case,... CAclubindia Article Whether separate GST Registration is required for a warehouse? CAclubindia
  12. Keeps the e-invoicing turnover threshold and its proposed reductions in one current place, the number that decides whether you... Tally Solutions Article Understanding the Current E-Invoicing Turnover Limit in India Tally Solutions
  13. Written for e-commerce shippers rather than accountants, it explains the Rs 50,000 e-way bill trigger, validity and who... Shiprocket Article What Is an E-way Bill & How to Download It? Shiprocket Fulfillment
  14. For a D2C brand, ad spend is often the biggest cost, this explains the 18% GST on advertising and how to claim it back as input... Razorpay Article GST on Advertising: Rules, Tax Rates & Input Tax Credit Razorpay Learn
  15. Shows the practical loop of pulling marketplace sales reports and reconciling them into your GST returns, including matching... ClearTax Article GST Return Filing for e-Commerce Sellers ClearTax
  16. Directly addresses the online-seller angle that generic FSSAI guides skip, why marketplace/multi-state sale pushes you to a... Legal4Sure Article FSSAI License For Ecommerce, Amazon, Flipkart & Online Food Sellers 2026 Legal4Sure
  17. Focused specifically on the Central License tier that most online food sellers land in, clearer than generic FSSAI overviews... nkgabc.com Article FSSAI Central License for Food Businesses | All-India Compliance nkgabc.com
  18. Useful if you're still single-state and offline-heavy, clarifies the middle State License tier and when you'd need to upgrade... nkgabc.com Article FSSAI State License for Food Businesses | Compliance in India nkgabc.com
  19. Written specifically with D2C brands in mind rather than restaurants/manufacturers, so the examples and edge cases... TheGSTCo Article FSSAI for D2C TheGSTCo
  20. A practical process breakdown for domestic manufacturing specifically, timeline, site inspection, and the five-year retention... Artixio Article CDSCO Manufacturing License for Cosmetics in India Artixio
  21. Explains how to interpret what the search results actually mean (live vs opposed vs abandoned marks) rather than just how to... IndiaFilings Article IPIndia Trademark Search: Secure Your Brand in India IndiaFilings
  22. A law-firm-authored piece that reads results the way an examiner or opposing counsel would, useful once you're past basic... Lexology Article How to Use IPIndia Public Search for Easy Trademark Checking Lexology
  23. The most direct plain English answer to this exact question, written by a payments company that sees the problem from both... Cashfree Article Do You Need GST to Sell Online in India? Rules, Limits & TCS Explained Cashfree Payments
  24. Covers the one real exception to 'GST from order one': Meesho's Enrolment ID route for specific exempted categories under the... Gonukkad Article How To Sell On Meesho Without GST in 2025 Gonukkad

Show the next 24

The questions

Registering your business 6

The right entity to sell and to raise.

I'm just starting out, should I register as a proprietorship, LLP, or private limited company? 4 → Once I've decided on Private Limited, what's the actual step-by-step to incorporate it? 4 → Is it worth applying for Startup India / DPIIT recognition, and what does it actually get me? 4 → I'm a solo founder with no co-founder, does an OPC (One Person Company) make more sense than an LLP? 4 → Beyond incorporation, what other registrations do I actually need before I can legally take my first order? 4 → All 6 questions in Registering your business →
GST registration & basics 6

Get GST-ready before your first online sale.

Do I need a GST number before I make my very first sale, or can that wait? 20 → What's the actual step-by-step to register for GST myself, without paying a CA? 18 → What documents do I need lined up before I start the GST application? 16 → I'm a small maker just starting out, does the GST composition scheme make sense for me? 20 → How long does GST registration actually take and what does it cost? 18 → All 6 questions in GST registration & basics →
GST across states & e-commerce 7

Place of supply, TCS, and selling pan-India cleanly.

Do I actually need a GST registration to sell online, or can I start without one? 4 → A customer in another state ordered, do I charge IGST or CGST + SGST? 4 → Why is Amazon/Flipkart holding back a cut of my payout, what is this TCS? 4 → I store stock in a 3PL or Amazon FBA warehouse in another state, do I need a separate GST registration there? 4 → What HSN code and GST rate apply to my product, and where do I look it up? 3 → All 7 questions in GST across states & e-commerce →
Trademark & brand IP 6

Own your name before someone else does.

Should I trademark my brand name before I even launch, or can it wait till I have traction? 4 → How do I check if my brand name is already taken before I fall in love with it? 4 → What trademark class do I actually file under for my D2C brand, just one, or more? 3 → How much does trademark registration actually cost and how long does it take in India? 3 → What's the difference between the ™ I'm already using and getting an actual registered ®? 3 → All 6 questions in Trademark & brand IP →
Product licenses & certifications 6

FSSAI, cosmetics, BIS, drug, legal-metrology, get legal to sell.

I'm selling packaged food/snacks online, what FSSAI license do I need, and does my turnover matter? 4 → I make skincare/cosmetics at home or with a small manufacturer, do I need a CDSCO license before I can sell? 2 → I import or sell gadgets/electronics, what's this BIS CRS mark I keep hearing about? 3 → What exactly has to be on my product label/pack to be legally compliant under Legal Metrology? 3 → How do I even figure out which licenses apply to MY specific product, is there a single checklist? 3 → All 6 questions in Product licenses & certifications →
EPR & sustainability compliance 6

Plastic EPR, packaging rules, and green claims that hold up.

Do I actually need EPR registration for my D2C brand's plastic packaging, and what happens if I skip it? 3 → What's the actual step-by-step to register for EPR on the CPCB portal? 4 → What are the recycled-content and QR code traceability rules I need to hit in 2025-2026? 3 → Can I call my packaging 'eco-friendly' or 'sustainable' on my product page without getting into trouble? 3 → Where do I actually source compostable or plastic-free packaging in India without blowing my per-order cost? 3 → All 6 questions in EPR & sustainability compliance →
Data privacy & the DPDP Act 6

Handle customer data legally under India's DPDP Act.

Do I actually need to worry about DPDP as a small D2C brand, or is this a big-company problem? 3 → What exactly counts as valid consent under DPDP for my checkout and signup forms? 3 → What do I need to put in my privacy policy, and how do I actually draft one? 4 → What tools should I use to get DPDP-compliant without hiring a lawyer for every step? 2 → What actually happens to my brand if I don't comply, what are the real penalties? 3 → All 6 questions in Data privacy & the DPDP Act →
Business insurance & risk 6

Cover product liability, inventory, and shipping risk.

Do I actually need product liability insurance as a small D2C brand, or am I overthinking it? 3 → What does product liability insurance in India actually cost and cover? 3 → My marketplace is asking for liability insurance before I can keep selling, what do I actually need to show them? 3 → How do I insure my inventory against fire, theft, or damage sitting in a warehouse? 3 → What about goods lost or damaged in transit or shipping, is that covered separately from warehouse insurance? 3 → All 6 questions in Business insurance & risk →
Counterfeits & IP enforcement 6

Stop fakes and hijackers on marketplaces and your store.

How do I get my brand onto Amazon Brand Registry and Project Zero to fight counterfeits? 3 → What's Flipkart's equivalent, and how do I actually report a fake or unauthorised listing there? 3 → Someone's hijacked my own product listing and is undercutting my price, what do I do? 3 → Do I need a trademark before I can even start protecting my brand, and how do I register one in India? 2 → My brand is being sold as fake on Instagram and WhatsApp, not just on marketplaces, what do I do? 3 → All 6 questions in Counterfeits & IP enforcement →
eChai Partner Brands The partnership →