The short answer: almost always yes
If you sell goods through an e-commerce operator like Amazon or Flipkart, GST registration is mandatory from your very first sale — the ₹40 lakh / ₹20 lakh turnover thresholds do not apply to you. The marketplaces themselves require a GSTIN before they’ll let you list taxable goods, precisely because of this rule.
Why the threshold doesn’t save you
The turnover thresholds are a general rule with several exceptions, and “supply through an e-commerce operator” is one of the big ones. The law treats marketplace selling as requiring registration regardless of how small your sales are. So a seller doing ₹50,000 a month on Amazon still needs a GSTIN, the same as a much larger one.
The one nuance: some services and Meesho
There is a limited relaxation for certain small suppliers of services through e-commerce platforms, and platforms like Meesho have at times enabled non-GST selling for specific categories under evolving rules. But for the vast majority of goods sellers on the major marketplaces, registration is required. Because these rules shift, it’s worth confirming your exact category rather than assuming.
What marketplace sellers also deal with
- TCS (tax collected at source) — the platform collects a small percentage and deposits it against your GSTIN; you claim it in your returns
- Monthly GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B, reconciling platform sales with your own records
- Correct HSN codes and, for higher-turnover sellers, e-invoicing
- Returns and settlement reconciliation, which gets fiddly at volume
Getting set up cleanly
For a new online seller we handle the GST registration (₹499) and then the monthly filing (₹499/month), including the TCS reconciliation that trips people up. It means your marketplace account stays compliant and your input credit isn’t lost. If you’re about to start selling, get the GSTIN in place first — listing without it just stalls your launch.