Trading Indian goods on Russian e-marketplaces
Russia is one of the world’s largest e-commerce markets. By the end of 2024, the country's online retail sector was worth 11 trillion roubles (approximately 11.2 trillion rupees), marking a 37% increase on 2023. The lion’s share of the market belongs to the largest marketplaces, so collaborating with these is key to success in the online trade sector.
Here’s how an Indian company can start selling on Russian online platforms.
Russia’s e-commerce market volume (in trillion roubles)
1 RUB = 1.01 INR (exchange rate at the date of publication)
Source: STATISTA
Online trading platforms in Russia
The leading Russian internet marketplaces are Wildberries and OZON, which together account for 57% of the B2C e-commerce market. Yandex.Market and Megamarket are also among the top 10 online sales platforms. These are general-purpose marketplaces where businesses can sell almost any type of product—from pet food, cosmetics, and gadgets to furniture and sports equipment.
Wildberries and Ozon account for 57% of Russia’s online retail market
There are also specialised platforms, such as VseInstrumenti.Ru in the DIY sector, or Exist, which is one of Russia’s largest niche marketplaces for selling automotive parts and accessories, B2B transactions included. Industrial.Market is a platform catering for the industrial sector.
Alexey Fedorov,
president of the Council for the Development of E-commerce at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation:
B2B commerce within Russia and with overseas partners is going digital. The volume of electronic B2B trade between Russia and China, for instance, reached $1.54 billion in 2023 and is expected to triple to $4.59 billion by 2027. Indian machinery and equipment manufacturers could gain new sales opportunities by establishing a presence on Russian B2B platforms.
Indian products valued in Russia
Several categories of Indian-made products are particularly popular among Russian consumers:
Indian products related to healthy living, Ayurveda, and yoga are also widely available in Russian online stores.
Collaborating with marketplaces allows overseas businesses to avoid having to handle product promotion and logistics within Russia themselves. Additionally, these platforms provide tools for analysing competition and pricing across different product categories.
Key considerations when launching on Russian e-marketplaces
First and foremost, experts recommend focusing on selecting the right platforms by considering which of them align with your product range and target audience.
Additionally, logistics and customs procedures must be well planned. "It’s not enough to study the specifics of delivering goods to Russia and be aware of the associated costs. You must choose your partners carefully. The same applies to certifying your products and ensuring they comply with Russian regulations and standards. While not overly complicated, this process requires significant time and effort. Indian businesses will also need to adapt their marketing materials for the Russian market, taking into account cultural and linguistic nuances," says Alexey Fedorov, president of the Council for the Development ofE-commerce at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation.
How to start selling on Russian e-marketplaces
Step 1: Find a partner. Unlike Chinese or Turkish brands, which already have direct sales infrastructure on major Russian internet marketplaces, Indian companies cannot currently work directly with these platforms. To do so, they must either register a legal entity in Russia or set up a supply chain through a trade representative in the region.
SBER Business Development offers assistance to Indian companies entering the Russian market by helping them find partners, manage logistics, handle financial transactions, and conduct market research. Request a free consultation or ask a question.
Step 2: Prepare product documentation. To confirm product safety, sellers must provide one of the following documents to the marketplace:
These documents can be obtained from an accredited certification centre, where specialists will advise you on the appropriate document type for your product.
Certain products in Russia require mandatory labelling. After registering with the national system Chestny Znak, manufacturers or importers must apply a unique barcode to each product item. By scanning it, you can check the date and place of manufacture, product composition, and manufacturer details. Importers are responsible for labelling goods upon entry into Russia, which increases operational costs for sellers.
Step 3: Choose a sales model. Sellers can either opt to delegate all logistics operations to the marketplace, or use it solely for promotion while handling logistics independently.
Step 4: Sign up on the marketplace. The seller fills in company details, signs the offer agreement, and then gains access to their personal account. Here, they can use analytics tools to study competitor offerings and assess demand for their own products.
Step 5: Complete product listings. Marketplace sales directly depend on the detail and quality of the product description and its visual presentation in the storefront. High-quality images and a video showcase of the product will help achieve the desired effect.