Decide first between gold and everything else, because the capital and the rules are very different. Gold jewellery ties up lakhs in stock from day one, and in the districts under BIS's Mandatory Hallmarking Order it can be sold only after hallmarking at a BIS-recognised centre; the jeweller registers with BIS online, free and valid for life, on the Manak portal. Silver, imitation, oxidised and handmade jewellery need far less capital and can start from home on Instagram, Amazon or your own store, needing only free Udyam registration and GST once turnover crosses the threshold (or from the start if you sell to other states). Exporters join the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council. Whichever you choose, the business runs on trust: hallmark and invoice every gold piece, photograph imitation pieces honestly, and keep a clear return policy. What kills most new jewellery businesses is buying too much stock in too many designs before knowing what sells, so test a small range first.
BIS's hub for gold and silver hallmarking: the Hallmarking Regulations, the Mandatory Hallmarking Order and its amendments, the districts covered, and jeweller registration, which is done online, issued instantly, free and valid for life.
GST is the single compliance item a solo founder most often gets wrong, either registering too late or not knowing the threshold differs for goods (40 lakh) versus services (20 lakh). ClearTax is the canonical Indian reference on this: it walks the exact portal steps (TRN, Aadhaar authentication, document upload), the documents you need, and the penalty math for skipping it (minimum 10,000 rupees, up to 100% of tax evaded), so you register at the right moment and not a filing cycle late.
The threshold is not one number: roughly 40 lakh turnover for goods and 20 lakh for services (lower in special-category states), computed on aggregate all-India turnover under one PAN
You often need GST anyway to invoice business clients who want to claim input credit, regardless of your turnover
Skipping registration when required carries a penalty of at least 10,000 rupees or the tax evaded, so treat the threshold as a hard trigger, not a suggestion
The government's only portal for registering a micro, small or medium enterprise. It states registration is free and lists the revised limits: a micro enterprise has investment up to ₹2.5 crore and turnover up to ₹10 crore, a small one up to ₹25 crore and ₹100 crore.
Amazon's own page for registering as a seller in India, with its fee calculator, Fulfillment by Amazon and the seller university. Useful to see what selling on a marketplace costs before you build your own store.
