Are you looking for the best option for your print-on-demand business in India? Then read on.
Print-on-demand dropshipping is one of the least competitive businesses compared to other eCommerce business models (at least in India). There is a vast potential to earn a significant profit without any investment at all.
This post will discuss the best Indian print-on-demand suppliers that you can use to launch your business.
What is the Print on Demand India model?
For those who don’t know, print on demand is a drop shipping model where you just design the products and list them in your store. When the order arrives, your supplier manufactures and ships it to your customer under your name. You pay on a per-product basis and don’t need to keep an inventory. You may also have to give your supplier a subscription fee (in most cases).
That is the reason print-on-demand businesses are getting increasingly popular worldwide. All you need to do is create unique designs and market the product with ads.
How does it work?
A print on demand India dropshipping model lets you fully-customize a design on t-shirts, mugs, and many other products. Most of the companies provide the businesses with a free mockup generator (online software) for easily designing the store.
You can then import the designed products’ media to your online store with a few clicks.
The print on demand business in India consists of three major things –
- Supplier – The print on demand company that allows the seller to perform business on single product or upon order basis. The company usually has in-house manufacturing for creating and shipping the product under your brand name.
- Online store – This is the website where you (seller) add the products and its fully under your control. You can use paid ads on Instagram for generating sales.
- Customer – When the customer makes the payment and places an order on your eCommerce website, you can make a smaller payment to the print on demand company and place your order. You can even set it on automated mode. The supplier will then print + ship your item on the selected address labeled under your brand.
Best Print-on-Demand Dropshippers in India
1. Printrove
Printrove is a print-on-demand dropshipping supplier based in Tamil Nadu. This outsourcing company offers multiple print-on-demand services, including dropshipping, branding, and bulk printing.
Talking about the delivery time, Printrove partners take seven days manufacturing time and, after that, around 3-4 days to ship. You can sell men’s and women’s clothing, hoodies, sweatshirts, phone cases, coasters, mugs, phone cases, mousepads, notebooks, and more.
Currently, it integrates with Shopify (the #1 platform for dropshipping) and WooCommerce (if you have development knowledge). The only downside is the variation in product quality based on categories, so I recommend you to try a test order before starting up.
The customer support is okayish (response rate is not the fastest), but there is no MOQ, making it perfect for Indian dropshippers. Refunds are only accepted within ten days if there is a quality issue or if the order is not processed. If that happens, you will get your refund as a Printrove credit. On the other hand, you can hold custom products in the warehouse for as long as 30 days. Check their refund and return policy before getting started.
| Printing methods – Screen printing, DTG (direct-to-garment), and sublimation Integrations – Shopify & WooCommerce Top features – 250+ products for dropshipping, volume discounts (disclosed upon request) Price – Free |
2. Qikink
Qikink is one of the best options on my “print on demand in India” list, primarily because of the vast product catalog and beginner-friendly interface. This Indian print-on-demand company is backed by a 23,800 sq. ft. factory located in Tamil Nadu, using Epson, Brother, and Mimaki printers to ensure fine print quality.
That said, they could improve the fabric quality, and customer service needs more hands on deck. With a 3.1/5 rating on Trustpilot, this print-on-demand company is ideal for those just starting to launch their store, but it is not the best choice for bigger fish.
The company claims to deliver 90% of their orders within two working days, but their average delivery time is 4-7 days for domestic shipping and 3-15 days for international orders.
Discounted pricing is available based on the product, print, and quantity, making it an excellent option for non-dropshipping bulk orders and custom branding.
| Printing methods – Screen printing, DTG, embroidery, vinyl transfer, and sublimation Integrations – Shopify, WooCommerce, and custom API Top features – Superb print quality Price – Free |
3. Venderboat
Venderboat is a Noida-based print-on-demand software that lets you request print and stitch on-demand dropshipping. The Venderboat is more geared towards technical features for improving dropshipping businesses.
From a business point of view, you will have more than seven printing options, nine courier partners, and technical features like NDR IVR technology (calls and SMS) to your clients to reduce non-deliveries and cash-on-delivery (COD) verifications.
Furthermore, they use eco-friendly courier bags, hand tags, and product bags to avoid non-biodegradable waste. Venderboat claims to transfer the COD amount by the next day and deliver worldwide within 6-15 days. However, the average time is 2-7 days for delivery within India.
They also offer warehousing and fulfillment services for those wanting to keep an inventory.
| Printing methods – 7+ print options Integrations – Shopify, WooCommerce, and Amazon Top features – Biodegradable packaging Price – Free |
4. Owl Prints
Owl Prints is a relatively new Indian print-on-demand dropshipping supplier. The products Owl Prints offered at the time of writing this post are T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, mugs, mousepads, etc. You will need to sign in to create a custom pod design, and their team will print and ship it for you.
Though there is no MOQ for print-on-demand dropshipping, you will have to order a minimum of 500 pieces for custom branding (custom packaging is free). Similarly, discounted bulk printing is available for those wanting to keep an inventory for their products.
Along with this, Owl Prints offer 48-hour fulfillment, multiple color options, and 100% cotton T-shirts (similar to Venderboat). Thanks to their transparent business model, you can also calculate the profit margin. For instance, a T-shirt would cost you ₹155 + minimum print cost (₹80) + shipping (₹50) + GST 5% (14.25) = ₹300. You can add more profit by creating a unique custom design.
| Printing methods – DTG printing Integrations – Shopify Top features – Fast shipping Price – Free |
5. Eprintcare
Eprintcare is another Indian print-on-demand dropshipping option specifically for selling dropshipping T-shirts or printing bulk t shirts. With a base price of ₹270 per T-shirt, Eprint would cost you ₹300-400 per piece (just slightly more expensive than Owl Prints).
That said, they use Epson SureColour F3000 to print their products, which is the highest quality DTG printer available right now. That means you can rely on their print quality.
The Pune-based company does not offer a merchant platform to sign up and upload your design. The mockup generator is bare-bones and does a basic job. You can also send the design in a dropbox link.
They offer white and dark T-shirts for print-on-demand business and claim to deliver within 2-3 business days. They offer exchanges for defective products. There is a 45-day storage window for returns, and they will cancel the order if you don’t resell the product. COD remittance time is 15 days, so check the terms and conditions before getting started.
| Printing methods – DTG printing Integrations – Shopify Top features – Live inventory update Price – Free |
6. Gelato India
Gelato is originally an international dropshipping company, but they do have a print supplier based in India. They don’t disclose the exact location of their print partner, so it’s a good idea for you to check with them and place a test order before launching your print-on-demand business.
The mockup generator offered by Gelato is packed with amazing, beginner-friendly features. You can dropship wall art, mugs, clothing, calendar, and related products.
| Printing methods – Not disclosed Integrations – Shopify Top features – Fast shipping Price – Free |
7. Book Bazooka
Are you planning to launch a book printing business? Then you can go with Bazooka, an on-demand printing supplier in India. You can fully customize the book and get it printed with 100% royalty for paperback or hardback books and 90% for eBooks.
That said, you will have to do most of the work manually since there is no custom integration for eCommerce platforms. And most of the information is hidden, so make sure to check the terms and conditions properly.
| Printing methods – Not disclosed Integrations – None Top features – Bulk print discount Price – Free |
How to start a print on demand business in India
You can easily start a print on demand business in India. To help save your time, I have summarized it in a few simple steps –
1. Sign up on Shopify
Though there are many eCommerce platforms that are relatively cheaper, Shopify is the one best known for dropshipping. There are tons of free dropshipping suppliers all over the world that are available for free. Plus you don’t need to hire any expensive web developer, the site is beginner friendly. They also offer a free trial, charging ₹2,000+ per month (which is worth it if you are serious about the business) and includes free tools, suppliers, 24/7 free support, and no-code backend).
2. Setup your store
After signing up, install a free theme by simply selecting and clicking the theme section. Next buy a domain name costing ₹800-1000 to give your website a “Name”.
You can easily find free tutorials for quickly setting up the store and add a logo.
3. Select a supplier
You can easily install the Shopify app (extension) for your favorite print on demand supplier and start creating your product. In rare cases, if you are working with a local print on demand site that doesn’t offer an extension, you can do it manually. For that, download the images for products designed using their free mockup generator and upload the product with a quick description.
Furthermore, if the print provider doesn’t offer a mockup (online image for the product) software, you can use any online mockup generator available online and download + send the product to them, and upload it to the store.
4. Start running paid ads
Setting up the website takes a little work, but from there it’s easy-peasy. Start running paid ads on Facebook/Google, create social media pages, create niche products (like popular show t-shirts or coffee mugs) and other marketing strategies for generating your first sale. You will need some testing for which target audience gives best results but it’s a piece of cake from there onwards.
All you have to do is focus on generating sales; everything else will be covered by your print on demand supplier.
Conclusion
So that was my take on the best options for print on demand in India. You can ship both domestically and internationally, but it would make more sense to sell nationally – because of fast shipping and lesser POD competition – and generate revenue.
Once you have launched your Shopify store, you will need to be creative when it comes to custom eCommerce marketing strategies. One of the main pillars for dropshipping based businesses to drive sales is paid ads. Make sure to fully optimize your Google and Facebook ads so you don’t lose money.
You can also add more suppliers for diversifying your products catalog.
