India GTM Template
A go-to-market template built for India launches. Covers tier-1/2/3 city sequencing, vernacular language strategy, payment method mix (UPI, wallets, EMI, COD), distribution channels, regulatory considerations, and pricing localisation. Free to copy, download, and use. No signup required.
# India GTM Template **Product / Feature:** [Name] **PM:** [Name] **Target launch date:** [Date] **Launch scope:** [ ] National [ ] Tier-1 only [ ] Tier-1 + Tier-2 [ ] Regional pilot --- ## 1. Market context **Target segment:** | Dimension | Definition | |---|---| | Geography | [e.g. Metro + Tier-1 first, expand to Tier-2 in Q2] | | Demographics | [Age, income bracket, device type] | | Behaviour | [e.g. Mobile-first, UPI users, vernacular-preferred] | | Company type (B2B) | [e.g. SMBs with 10–200 employees, bootstrapped or early-stage] | **City tier strategy:** - **Tier-1 (Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune):** [Approach and rationale] - **Tier-2 (Jaipur, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Surat, Kochi…):** [Approach and rationale — often 2× the TAM of Tier-1] - **Tier-3 and rural:** [Include/exclude and why] **Language strategy:** - Primary: [ ] English [ ] Hindi [ ] Regional (specify: ___) - Vernacular support required: [ ] Yes [ ] No - Languages to support at launch: [List] - Localisation scope: [ ] UI strings only [ ] UI + support [ ] UI + support + content [ ] Full product --- ## 2. Pricing **Pricing model:** [ ] Free + paid tiers [ ] Subscription [ ] Pay-per-use [ ] Enterprise negotiated [ ] Marketplace **Price points:** | Tier | INR / month | INR / year | USD equivalent | Rationale | |---|---|---|---|---| | Free | ₹0 | ₹0 | $0 | [What's included and why] | | [Tier 2] | ₹ | ₹ | $≈ | | | [Tier 3] | ₹ | ₹ | $≈ | | **Pricing anchors:** - Competitor A: [Price in INR] - Competitor B: [Price in INR] - Global product with India pricing: [Price in INR] **GST treatment:** [ ] Prices shown inclusive of GST [ ] GST added at checkout **GST rate applicable:** [ ] 18% (software / SaaS) [ ] Other: ___ --- ## 3. Payments **Payment method mix (India users expect all of these):** | Method | Required at launch | Provider | Notes | |---|---|---|---| | UPI (GPay, PhonePe, Paytm, BHIM) | [ ] Yes [ ] No | Razorpay / PayU | Dominant for < ₹5,000 transactions | | UPI AutoPay (recurring) | [ ] Yes [ ] No | Razorpay | Required for subscriptions | | Debit card | [ ] Yes [ ] No | Razorpay | Needed for Tier-2/3 | | Credit card | [ ] Yes [ ] No | Razorpay | Urban + premium users | | Net banking | [ ] Yes [ ] No | Razorpay | Enterprise + older demographics | | EMI (no-cost EMI) | [ ] Yes [ ] No | Razorpay / Cardless | Converts high-ticket purchases | | Wallets (Paytm, Mobikwik) | [ ] Yes [ ] No | Razorpay | Declining share but still relevant | | Cash on Delivery | [ ] Yes [ ] No | [Logistics partner] | Physical products only | **Payment failure handling:** - Retry strategy: [e.g. 3 retries over 3 days, then downgrade] - Grace period after failed payment: [e.g. 7 days access, then paywalled] - User communication: [SMS + email + in-app notification] --- ## 4. Distribution channels | Channel | Priority | Owner | Target CAC | Notes | |---|---|---|---|---| | SEO / content (Hindi + English) | | | ₹ | | | WhatsApp (groups, broadcast) | | | ₹ | High open rates in India | | YouTube (Hindi explainer / demo) | | | ₹ | | | LinkedIn (B2B) | | | ₹ | | | Community (Slack, Discord, Telegram) | | | ₹ | | | Referral / word of mouth | | | ₹ | | | Inside sales / WhatsApp outbound (B2B) | | | ₹ | | | Partnership / channel resellers | | | ₹ | | | App stores (Play Store, App Store) | | | ₹ | | **WhatsApp strategy:** [ ] Not used [ ] Customer support only [ ] Marketing broadcast [ ] Community [ ] Transactional (OTP, receipts) --- ## 5. Regulatory & compliance checklist - [ ] **GST registration:** Mandatory if annual revenue > ₹20 lakh (₹10 lakh for some states) - [ ] **Data localisation:** RBI mandates payment data storage in India; check if applicable - [ ] **IT Act 2000 / DPDP Act 2023:** Privacy notice and consent mechanism in place - [ ] **Terms of Service and Privacy Policy:** India-specific disclosures (DPDP Act) - [ ] **Cancellation & refund policy:** Consumer Protection Act 2019 requirements - [ ] **Grievance officer:** Mandatory for platforms with Indian users — named contact, 30-day resolution SLA - [ ] **SEBI / RBI / IRDAI:** Check if product touches financial services, insurance, or lending - [ ] **App store compliance:** Play Store and App Store India-specific payment rules (if applicable) **Regulatory review owner:** [Name and role] --- ## 6. Launch sequence | Phase | Scope | Duration | Success criteria | Go/No-Go owner | |---|---|---|---|---| | Alpha | Internal + 20 design partners | 2 weeks | [Metric] | PM | | Beta | 200 invite-only users, Tier-1 only | 4 weeks | [Metric] | PM + growth | | GA — Tier-1 | Open signup, metro cities | 4 weeks | [Metric] | PM | | GA — Tier-2 expansion | Vernacular + Tier-2 onboarding | Ongoing | [Metric] | PM | --- ## 7. Metrics | Metric | Target at 30 days | Target at 90 days | |---|---|---| | Signups | | | | Activation rate (completed core action) | | | | Week-1 retention | | | | MRR | ₹ | ₹ | | CAC | ₹ | ₹ | | NPS | | |
How to use this India GTM template
Set your city-tier strategy before setting your price
Pricing that converts in Bangalore often doesn't convert in Lucknow. Tier-2 and Tier-3 users have lower willingness to pay but represent 2–3× the addressable market of Tier-1. Decide your tier sequence first — if you're starting with Tier-1 only, you can price higher and expand down. If you're going broad on day one, price for the median India user, not the median Bangalore user.
Launch with UPI AutoPay from day one for any subscription product
UPI AutoPay (via Razorpay or PayU) is the lowest-friction recurring payment method for India. Subscriptions that require credit card numbers see 3–5× higher drop-off at checkout. Setting up UPI AutoPay requires NPCI approval through your payment provider — this takes 1–3 weeks. Start the process during development, not the week before launch.
Appoint a grievance officer before you publicly launch
Under the IT Act and DPDP Act, any platform with Indian users must publicly name a grievance officer with a response SLA of 30 days. This is a legal requirement, not a nice-to-have. Add the officer's name and email to your Privacy Policy and Terms of Service before going live. Failing to do so is a compliance risk that regulators have begun to enforce.
Test your WhatsApp strategy as a distribution channel early
WhatsApp has 500M+ active users in India with open rates that dwarf email. For B2C, a WhatsApp community or broadcast list can be your highest-ROI distribution channel. For B2B, WhatsApp outbound (personalised, not spam) converts better than cold email in India. Build a WhatsApp presence in beta — don't wait for GA.
Want a India GTM grounded in your actual customer data?
PMRead ingests your customer interviews, feedback, and Slack threads — and generates PRDs backed by real evidence, not guesses.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to register for GST before launching?
You need GST registration if your annual turnover exceeds ₹20 lakh (₹10 lakh in some northeastern states) or if you sell digital services to consumers in India regardless of turnover (OIDAR provisions). For SaaS products, GST at 18% applies from the first rupee collected. Register before you start charging users — retroactive GST compliance is painful and penalties apply.
Should we price in INR or USD?
Price in INR for any product primarily targeting Indian users. INR pricing reduces friction at checkout, avoids FX confusion, and signals that you've built for India. USD pricing is appropriate only for products targeting Indian enterprises that are already used to international SaaS billing. For consumer and SMB products, always INR.
How important is Hindi localisation vs. English?
For Tier-1 (metro) B2B products targeting educated professionals: English is fine and Hindi localisation is optional. For consumer apps targeting Tier-2 and beyond, or for products where the primary user is not a professional: Hindi (and regional languages) are table stakes. The rule: if your target user reads WhatsApp forwards in Hindi, they want your product in Hindi.
What is the DPDP Act and what does it require?
The Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 is India's primary data privacy legislation. It requires: (a) clear and specific consent before processing personal data, (b) a privacy notice in plain language, (c) a grievance mechanism, and (d) data erasure on request. For most SaaS products, compliance means updating your Privacy Policy, adding a consent flow at signup, and naming a grievance officer. Consult legal counsel for products that handle sensitive data (health, finance, children).
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