How to Start a Print-on-Demand (POD) Business in India in 2025: Investment, Profit & Beginners Guide

Not many of you have heard of this unique business model, Print-on-Demand, popularly known as POD. If you’re someone who loves getting artsy or wants to create something unique with physical products, then this business model is your golden ticket to earn big in 2025! At Startup Authority, we’re diving deep into how you can kickstart your POD journey in India, covering everything from investment to profits, and a beginner-friendly guide to get you rolling

What is Print on Demand Business (POD)? 

Print-on-demand also known as POD is a business model where products such as clothing apparel, accessories, coffee mugs, phone covers, and other such things are produced when you get an order. This type of business model in today’s generation eliminates all the middlemen.

POD Workflow:

Platforms We Can Use for Print on Demand Business? 

You need to select the best or the most suitable platform from which you can conduct business in India. Choosing the best, reliable, and platform which will give you a good profit margin is very important.

Interestingly, in India, there are so many suppliers which are available and offer amazing services to customers. But, two of the most amazing and best suppliers in India are Qikink and Printrove.

Among these two platforms, we will make a detailed comparison and tell you which one could be feasible according to your taste and preferences. We will simply take an example of a t-shirt in the comparison we make for you.

These two platforms are one of the greatest competitors to each other. This is because the t-shirt samples of both platforms are exactly the same. On the other hand, both companies have not compromised on any parameters for their products.

Designing Merch opportunities for Print on Demand Business

Prior to designing your merchandise, make sure to target the best and demanding market in India. This will not only help you earn a good profit margin but, it will secure a safe place in the Indian market. When you have found out the best niche, and chosen your supplier now is the time for you to design your merchandise.

To design your merch there are two great options available out there. The first option is to hire a designer and make him/her understand your needs, wants, and the type of design you are looking for in a product.

The second option that is available to you is to visit free stock websites and use free illustrations from those websites. Freepik is one of those websites where one can use free designs.

You just need to visit the website and search for the type of design you are looking for on the search bar. In the second step, on the left-hand side of your screen select ‘vectors’ and then under that you need to select the ‘license-free’ option. You will get lots of options design options available to you which are license-free and can be used for designing.

If you have loved some designs from this website then you can easily copy them and paste them on any photo editing platform for more details. You can make more advanced changes to the photo and can make it look much better and unique so more customers are attracted to your product.

Designing Logo & Business Name For POD Business

Having a unique and attractive logo and business name is very important. When you are already doing something different than any of your competitors then, you need to give your business a unique logo and a business name.

Building a Print-on-Demand Store 

After completing your website, buying a domain for it, and designing your logo, now you have a build a store. To build a store you can use Shopify, it gives you a trial period of 30 days for three months. Choosing Shopify makes it easier for users to build their e-commerce websites.

The steps for e-commerce website building through Shopify are very simple and easy.

There are absolutely no problems in hosting when you choose to build an e-commerce website through Shopify. Additionally, for the first three days, Shopify does not charge a single penny to its users. On the other hand, after the three-month trial is over you will be required to pay between Rs 1900-2500 per month for using Shopify.

The first step to building your e-commerce store in Shopify is to register yourself and your business on the platform. On the search bar, you need to search for the supplier you have chosen and install their app.

You are required to sign up on the supplier website on Shopify. Next time when you open your supplier’s website, you can easily open it using the Shopify integrated version.

Now, you should not forget to add all the required pages for an e-commerce website. Shopify helps you set these required pages very easily through their interface. Other than that, you must also select a good theme according to your product and target market.

Running FaceBook Ads for Print on Demand Business

Along with your business or e-commerce website setting up an Instagram page and FaceBook page is very important. Without these pages, your business will simply have no value.

Now, here are some of the things that you should not do when you have opened a Facebook ad:-

• • The day you have opened a Facebook ad page, make sure to put photo and cover photo only. You need to have other activities on your Facebook ad page.

• • For 1-2 days you need to put content continuously to warm up your page

• • Run your advertisements from the fifth day so that it does not look suspicious to Facebook.

To run a Facebook ad, you need to create these things:-

• • Facebook Business Manager

• • Facebook Ads Manager

• • Campaign

Now, the day you have created a FaceBook Business Manager account, make sure to leave it alone for two days. Do not conduct any type of activity after opening the FaceBook Business Manager. After creating an ads manager, do the same procedure as well.

One must also know that, to run these kinds of activities your FaceBook account must be 2-3 years old. On the third day, you need to create pixels and then assign them. When you do this, after three days it is then the pixels will show on the ads manager.

Now, when you run your campaign it is then you will see all your pixels on your FaceBook ad page.