Merchant Count: As of early 2025, India has on the order of tens of thousands of Shopify merchants. Recent data indicates there are roughly 91,000–94,000 active Shopify stores in India (i.e. merchants on a paid Shopify plan) (Shopify Stores in India) (Shopify Stores in India). This represents a dramatic increase from mid-2024, when an estimated ~50,000 Indian merchants were on Shopify (Shopify: Shopify notifies merchants it will discontinue its advanced cash-on-delivery app by month end - The Economic Times). (Shopify usually counts any store on a paid subscription as a “merchant,” including Basic, Shopify, Advanced, and Plus tiers.) Notably, this figure does include Shopify Plus (enterprise) merchants – of the total, approximately 473 stores are on Shopify Plus in India (Shopify Stores in India). In other words, the vast majority of Shopify-powered businesses in India are small and mid-sized merchants, with only a few hundred being large enterprise (Plus) accounts.
Growth Trends in India 🚀
Shopify’s merchant base in India has been growing rapidly. The count of Shopify stores in India jumped about 41% year-over-year in Q1 202 (Shopify Stores in India)】. To put this in context, there were around 65,000 Shopify merchants in India in early 2024, which surged to over 91,000 by early 202 (Shopify Stores in India) (Shopify Stores in India)】. This continues a multi-year growth trend – for example, back in 2019 there were only around 10,000 Shopify stores in Indi (Shopify Stores in India)】. The pandemic era significantly boosted adoption: Shopify’s India store count roughly tripled from early 2021 (~30k) to early 2025 (~92k) as businesses large and small moved online. Such growth outpaces general e-commerce growth – reflecting how Shopify has become a go-to platform for new Indian entrepreneurs and D2C (direct-to-consumer) brands going online.
This strong uptake also mirrors Shopify’s business performance in the country. Shopify’s India unit has reportedly turned profitable as of 2021, with a 66% annual revenue jump that yea (Shopify has made inroads in India’s online D2C. To go deeper, it must outshine the competition. - The Economic Times)】, indicating the platform’s expanding footprint. By 2022, Indian merchants on Shopify generated ₹30,100 crore (about $3.7 billion USD) in total sales, a ~9.8% increase from the prior yea (Biz activity for Shopify's Indian sellers up 9.8% to Rs 30,100 cr in 2022 | Company News - Business Standard)】. In Shopify’s Global Entrepreneurship Index, India was ranked around 26th in economic impact by its merchants, and their contribution to India’s GDP via Shopify grew ~9.6% in 202 (Biz activity for Shopify's Indian sellers up 9.8% to Rs 30,100 cr in 2022 | Company News - Business Standard)】. Overall, the trajectory suggests accelerating growth, with thousands of new merchants joining Shopify India each quarter (e.g. +41% YOY as noted for early 2025).
Shopify’s Market Share in India 🌐
India is a massive e-commerce market, and Shopify has carved out a significant market share among e-commerce platforms, though it faces strong competition. According to industry estimates, Shopify powers roughly 20–21% of all e-commerce websites in Ind (Global eCommerce market share and platform distribution statistics - AppMySite)1】. This makes it the second most popular e-commerce platform in the country by usage. The leader in India is still WooCommerce (the open-source WordPress plugin), which accounts for over 50% of e-commerce sites, benefiting from its low cost and flexibili (Global eCommerce market share and platform distribution statistics - AppMySite)1】. Other platforms like Wix Stores (~9%) and OpenCart (~4%) also have presence, but none approach WooCommerce and Shopify in sha (Global eCommerce market share and platform distribution statistics - AppMySite)1】.
Shopify’s ~21% share in India is quite notable given the price-sensitive nature of the market – it indicates many serious merchants are willing to invest in a hosted SaaS platform for reliability and features. In fact, Shopify is more dominant in developed markets (e.g. ~30% share in the (Global eCommerce market share and platform distribution statistics - AppMySite)1】) but in India it still lags WooCommerce, which is favored by smaller merchants for its zero licensing cost. That said, Shopify’s share has been rising in recent years as more Indian sellers opt for a robust, managed solution for D2C brands, rather than self-hosting. Shopify’s global reach and app ecosystem appeal to Indian entrepreneurs looking to scale beyond marketplace selling. The company has been steadily increasing its investments in India to capture more of the burgeoning SMB e-commerce segment – for example, by enabling localized features (integrations for UPI payments, rupee pricing, etc.) and offering promotional pricing to lower the entry barrier for new merchants.
Profile of Indian Shopify Merchants
Merchant Size & Types: The overwhelming majority of Shopify merchants in India are small businesses and startups (SMBs). Data on store profiles shows that ~95% of Shopify stores in India are run by organizations with **fewer than 10 employees (Shopify Stores in India)0】 – many likely single-owner businesses or small teams. These include a huge number of direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands in categories like fashion, beauty, home goods, and electronics. In fact, by category, about 36% of Indian Shopify stores are in Apparel/Fashion (the largest segmen (Shopify Stores in India)2】, followed by Home & Garden (~14%), Beauty & Fitness (~11%), and other retail categori (Shopify Stores in India)2】. This aligns with the boom in independent fashion labels, cosmetics brands, and lifestyle product startups selling online in India. For many of these small brands, Shopify’s ease of setup and robust app store (for things like local shipping, COD handling, etc.) make it an attractive platform to launch an online storefront quickly.
Shopify Plus (Enterprises): In addition to small merchants, India also has a growing cohort of enterprise users on Shopify’s top-tier Plus plan. As noted, around 470–500 Indian stores are Shopify Plus clien (Shopify Stores in India) (Websites using Shopify Plus in India - BuiltWith Trends)4】 – these tend to be larger brands or high-volume retailers. Shopify Plus in India is used by some well-known retail chains and consumer brands, indicating that even big companies trust Shopify for their e-commerce needs. A few notable examples of Indian businesses (across sizes) using Shopify include:
Lenskart – a leading eyewear retail chain (online store built on Shopify Plu (Top 100 Shopify Stores in India | Clipara)3】.
Westside – a major fashion retail chain under Tata Group (runs its e-commerce site on Shopify Plu (Top 100 Shopify Stores in India | Clipara)5】.
The Himalaya Drug Company – a large FMCG/healthcare brand (uses Shopify Plus for direct online sale (Top 100 Shopify Stores in India | Clipara)5】.
SkinKraft – a born-online D2C skincare brand (hosted on Shopify, Plus tie (Top 100 Shopify Stores in India | Clipara)4】.
*(Many other prominent Indian D2C brands use Shopify, such as The Man Company (men’s grooming), Plum Goodness (beauty), BoAt (consumer electronics), Mamaearth (beauty) and more. These brands leverage Shopify for its scalable infrastructure and rich plugin ecosystem to handle high traffic and sales. (Top 100 Shopify Stores in India | Clipara) (Top 100 Shopify Stores in India | Clipara)5】
The presence of large players like Lenskart, Westside/Zudio, Lakmé, Nilkamal, and Durex India on Shopify Pl (Top 100 Shopify Stores in India | Clipara) (Top 100 Shopify Stores in India | Clipara)3】 shows that Shopify’s platform in India is not just for tiny sellers – it’s robust enough that even enterprises and legacy retail brands entrust it for their direct-to-consumer channels. That said, the typical Shopify India merchant is still an SMB or niche brand (often digitally native). Shopify Plus users remain a small fraction (~0.5%) of the total merchant base in India.
Shopify’s Presence & Ecosystem in the Indian Market 🇮🇳
Shopify has established a significant presence in India’s e-commerce ecosystem to support this growing merchant base. The company has been active in India for about a decade, setting up local operations and tailoring its platform to Indian needs. Shopify’s India team has introduced integrations with popular local payment gateways (PayU, Razorpay, Cashfree, etc.) and support for UPI payments and cash-on-delivery (COD) – which is critical, as COD remains a prevalent payment method in India’s online shopping. (In fact, India’s market is so cash-centric that Shopify built a specialized **“Advanced Cash on Delivery” app to help merchants manage COD orders and reduce return r (Shopify: Shopify notifies merchants it will discontinue its advanced cash-on-delivery app by month end - The Economic Times)149】. *This ACOD feature was used by thousands of Indian merchants; Shopify announced its phase-out in 2024, handing off COD optimization to local third-party apps like GoK (Shopify: Shopify notifies merchants it will discontinue its advanced cash-on-delivery app by month end - The Economic Times)158】.)
To further cement its presence, Shopify has cultivated an ecosystem of partners and developers in India. There are numerous Indian Shopify Experts and app developers catering to local merchant needs (from logistic integrations to GST compliance). Shopify also engages the community via events and education: for example, EcomSpark 2025 in Indore was one of the largest Shopify-centered conferences in India, bringing together hundreds of merchants and Shopify part (EcomSpark 2025: Central India’s Largest Shopify Event in Indore – A Game-Changer for eCommerce!) (EcomSpark 2025: Central India’s Largest Shopify Event in Indore – A Game-Changer for eCommerce!)L61】. Such events and the vibrant community indicate how Shopify is actively fostering its user base in India.
Market Position: While Shopify in India is growing fast, it does face competition from alternative solutions – not only WooCommerce, but also local e-commerce SaaS platforms and marketplaces. Some Indian merchants opt for homegrown platforms (e.g. StoreHippo, Dukaan, etc.) or even sell primarily on marketplaces like Amazon/Flipkart. Shopify’s strategy to stand out has been to emphasize its global-scale features and success stories, while also adjusting pricing (at times offering promotional low-cost plans) and highlighting success of Indian entrepreneurs on Shopify. The company’s 2023 Entrepreneurship Index report highlighted India’s contribution (₹13,900 crore to GDP from Shopify merchants in 2 (Biz activity for Shopify's Indian sellers up 9.8% to Rs 30,100 cr in 2022 | Company News - Business Standard)L54】 and the creation of over **$250 million USD in revenue by Indian Shopify merchants (2016–201 (Shopify's Impact on Indian E-Commerce - Junior Economist)L20】, underlining the impact of Indian sellers on its platform.
Overall, as of 2025 Shopify is a key enabler of India’s D2C and SMB e-commerce boom. With ≈90k merchants and rising, India likely now ranks among Shopify’s top countries by user count (one analysis in 2023 put India at around the 6th largest market with ~73k st (Shopify Statistics (2025) - Number of Stores & Revenue) (Shopify Statistics (2025) - Number of Stores & Revenue)150】, and it has grown substantially since then). The trend suggests continued growth: more Indian retailers — from small handicraft businesses to big retail brands — are expected to come online with Shopify in the coming years, especially as e-commerce penetration in India deepens. Shopify’s increasing merchant count and revenue in India reflect not only the platform’s popularity but also the broader e-commerce growth in India, which is projected to expand strongly through the latter 2020s.
Sources: Official Shopify reports and indices, Indian business news outlets, and platform usage analyses were used to compile these figures. Notably, the ~93k merchant count comes from a Q1 2025 Storeleads analysis scraping live Shopify st (Shopify Stores in India)L27】, while the ~50k figure from 2024 was reported in Economic Times (citing Shopify’s communication to its Indian mercha (Shopify: Shopify notifies merchants it will discontinue its advanced cash-on-delivery app by month end - The Economic Times)157】. Market share stats were drawn from a Datanyze/Statista dataset on e-commerce platforms in I (Global eCommerce market share and platform distribution statistics - AppMySite)221】. The breakdown of merchant types and examples is based on Shopify’s own data and third-party listings of top Shopify sites in I (Shopify Stores in India) (Top 100 Shopify Stores in India | Clipara)125】. All signs point to Shopify being a growing force in India’s online retail landscape, empowering merchants of all sizes to quickly launch e-commerce stores on its paid plans.
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