Where India's D2C Brands Actually Sell: Amazon vs Nykaa vs Own Site
We mapped the distribution strategy of 1,679 Indian D2C brands across every major sales channel — horizontal marketplaces, category specialists, quick commerce platforms and direct-to-consumer websites. The picture is more nuanced than 'everyone sells on Amazon.'
The five distribution tiers
India's D2C distribution doesn't map neatly to Amazon vs. everything else. Our data shows five distinct channel tiers, each signalling a different brand strategy — and a different customer relationship.
| Tier | Platforms | What it signals |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 — Horizontal | Amazon, Flipkart, JioMart, Meesho, Tata CLiQ | Volume play, broad reach, price competition |
| Tier 2 — Specialists | Nykaa, Purplle, 1mg, Healthkart, Supertails, FirstCry | Category intent, curated audience, higher CAC yield |
| Tier 3 — Quick commerce | Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy Instamart, Nykaa Now | Impulse purchase, daily-need positioning |
| Tier 4 — Own website | Brand's own domain only | Full margin, owned customer data, brand control |
| Tier 5 — Noise | Tradeindia, export portals, resellers | Not meaningful for D2C analysis |
Most brands operate across tiers 1 and 4. The interesting strategic question is whether a brand uses its own website as its primary channel or as a secondary touchpoint alongside marketplaces.
Channel strategy by category
Channel preference varies significantly by category. Jewellery has the highest share of D2C-only brands — many jewellery founders deliberately avoid Amazon because marketplace presentation destroys the premium positioning they're building. Food & beverage is the opposite: multi-channel by necessity, because discovery and repurchase happen on the shelf and in the quick-commerce app.
| Category | Primary channels | Channel pattern | D2C-only share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beauty & Skincare | Nykaa, Purplle, Amazon | Strong D2C-only cohort | ~40% |
| Food & Beverage | Amazon, Blinkit, Zepto | Most brands multi-channel | <15% |
| Health & Wellness | Amazon, Healthkart, 1mg | Growing D2C-first segment | ~25% |
| Fashion & Apparel | Myntra, Amazon, Flipkart | Strong own-site players | ~35% |
| Jewellery & Accessories | Own site, Tata CLiQ | Highest D2C-only share | ~55% |
| Home & Living | Amazon, Pepperfry, Flipkart | Mix of direct + marketplace | ~30% |
| Pets | Supertails, Amazon, Blinkit | Specialist platform concentration | ~20% |
| Baby & Kids | Amazon, FirstCry, Flipkart | FirstCry dominant for discovery | ~20% |
| Fitness & Activewear | Amazon, Myntra, own site | Brand-direct growing fast | ~30% |
| Personal Care | Amazon, Nykaa, Blinkit | Quick commerce penetration high | ~20% |
The D2C-first cohort
A meaningful cohort of Indian D2C brands operates exclusively or primarily through their own website. This isn't niche positioning — some of India's best-known brands fall into this group. The data suggests D2C-first is a viable and growing strategy:
These brands share a pattern: strong brand identity, premium-to-mid pricing, high repeat purchase rates and a customer relationship they own entirely. The trade-off is slower discovery — you're relying on search and paid social rather than marketplace shelf placement.
Quick commerce: the emerging third channel
Blinkit, Zepto and Swiggy Instamart have become a genuine third distribution channel for Indian D2C brands — not just for FMCG giants. Personal care, food and health brands are increasingly present on quick commerce, and the data shows this is associated with higher search momentum scores, likely because q-comm drives trial which drives branded search.
The quick commerce window isn't open forever — as platforms mature, listing fees and category slot competition will increase. Brands getting shelf space now, while the category is still being built, have a meaningful first-mover advantage in the channel.
Blinkit
Strongest in food & personal care
Zepto
Growing in health & wellness
Instamart
Broad category coverage
What this means for founders
Channel choice is positioning
Being on Nykaa says something different about your brand than being on Meesho. Your channel mix is part of your brand signal, not just a logistics decision.
Amazon is optional
Contrary to the default assumption, a significant and growing share of Indian D2C brands are building sustainable businesses without Amazon. The D2C-first path is real — it requires stronger brand-building but yields better margins and customer data.
Specialist platforms deserve more credit
Supertails for pets, 1mg for supplements, FirstCry for baby — these category-specific platforms often have higher-intent customers than Amazon. If you're in their category, ignoring them is a mistake.
Explore the data yourself
See channel data, retailer presence and distribution strategy for every tracked Indian D2C brand.
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