the story of indiamart : revolutionized B2B commerce in India through subscription models, and —ideal for MBA case studies.

Explore how IndiaMART revolutionized B2B commerce in India through innovative subscription models, SEO strategies, and digital transformation—ideal for MBA case studies.

INTRODUCTION

IndiaMART is a pioneer in India’s B2B market, founded in 1996 by Dinesh Agarwal, a computer science graduate who had worked in the US with HCL Technologies. Along with his cousin Brijesh Agrawal, who came from a traditional business family in Uttar Pradesh, Dinesh aimed to create an online platform where buyers and suppliers could easily connect. At that time, internet awareness in India was very low, and IndiaMART faced many challenges. Unlike other businesses that focused on B2C, IndiaMART concentrated only on the B2B space, which helped it stay ahead of competitors for a long time. Companies like Alibaba, Amazon, and TradeIndia entered the B2B market much later. Today, IndiaMART has its headquarters in Noida (U.P.) and regional offices in all major cities.`worldwide famous for flexible worklife balance and compensation From scratch, it has grown to 6 million sellers and 143 million buyers, capturing about 60% of India’s B2B market — an incredible achievement in such a dynamic and competitive environment.“IndiaMART IPO opens on Monday; here’s what you need to know”.

May 3, 2025

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Historical background of indiaMart

IndiaMART has a truly inspiring history rooted in vision and courage. Founded in 1996 by Dinesh Agarwal and Bhavesh Agarwal, who came from a traditional business family in Uttar Pradesh, the idea seemed almost impossible at the time. Dinesh, a Computer Science graduate working as a senior analyst at HCL Technologies in the US, made the brave decision to return to India and start an internet-based company when hardly anyone knew about the internet. It sounded funny then — with only 500 internet connections across the entire country .99.5% of people didn’t even know how to use a computer. But the Agarwal brothers clearly saw the future and believed the internet era was coming soon. Bhavesh Agarwal once mentioned in an interview that European countries bought Indian handicrafts and spices for very little and sold them at high prices abroad. They saw a huge opportunity: why not build a platform that connects Indian sellers directly to global buyers? Acting as a bridge, IndiaMART was born. In the beginning, they were entering a “zero-product” market with no competitors. For nearly 18 years, until 2014, IndiaMART enjoyed unmatched dominance in India’s B2B marketplace. A major emotional driving force behind this journey was the support of Dinesh Agarwal’s grandfather, who asked him just one simple but powerful question — “Does your business add value and help others?” With full confidence, Dinesh answered yes. From there, IndiaMART stayed focused on helping exporters and buyers connect easily. From scratch, they built a platform with over 6 million sellers and 143 million buyers, capturing 60% of India’s B2B market today. Competing successfully against global giants like Alibaba, Amazon, and JioMart, IndiaMART’s story proves that strong belief, patience, and a commitment to adding value can turn an impossible dream into a historic success.

Owners and CEO of the company .

Dinesh is co founder and CEO of the company he completed computer engineering from Kanpur actuator he is from Napara up , upbringing is in Dinesh Agarwal Marwadi family after completing engineering he moved to the us to work for HCl technologies as a senior analyst them both brothers decided to start a business on Dinesh Agarwal

1 april 1996 who can act a a bridge between exporters from foreign countries and suppliers from india

“Impact of 9/11 2001 on the IndiaMart –

“When 9/11 happen in the US , all exporting business collapse tremendously in india And World IndiaMart also faces year on year 40% decline in revenue but this was unexpectedly the golden opportunity for the indiamart because it is time when indiaMart changed their focus to global market to indian market in that time no one present in B2B market in india .

How India mart Works ?

A green and brown rural landscape leading into a bright blue ocean and slightly cloudy sky, done in oil paints.

Basically india Mart is a intermediate between the supplier and buyer india Mart provide the base for the buyer where buyers can find all type of Sellers and for sellers they provide the platform where they can access their competitor and attract the buyersB2B online marketplace,

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Example – suppose chetan pvt limited and suyashpvt limited are the 2 business chetan is supplier of automobile parts like breaks and clutch and suyash is the buyer where he finding the product related to automobile suyash find chetan is trustable seller , then suyash approach to chetan , india Mart provide review of chetan business to suyash and also give lot of options rather that chetan .“IndiaMART IPO opens on Monday; here’s what you need to know”

Close-up, abstract view of architecture.

How IndiaMart Genrate Revenue?

IndiaMART is an intermediary platform that connects suppliers with buyers. It provides a base for buyers to find all types of sellers and, at the same time, offers a platform for sellers to access their competitors and attract potential buyers.IndiaMART InterMESH IPO Fully Subscribed On Day 2″.

Example –

Suppose Chetan Pvt. Limited is a supplier of automobile parts like brakes and clutches, and Suyash Pvt. Limited is a buyer looking for automobile-related products. “Q4 results review: IndiaMART InterMESH zooms 10% despite target price cuts as Q4 PAT jumps 79%”. livemint.com. Mint. Retrieved 2 May 2024 Suyash finds Chetan to be a trustworthy seller through IndiaMART and approaches him. IndiaMART not only provides reviews about Chetan’s business to Suyash but also presents multiple options to choose from, not just limited to Chetan.

Revenue Generation Model of IndiaMART

IndiaMART primarily generates revenue through supplier subscription plans, which are divided into three categories: Ankita Rai (17 August 2015). “IndiaMART: Small business means big business”. Business Standard. Retrieved 27 January 2016.

Mini Dynamic Catalog (MDC)
This plan is ideal for small enterprises. The annual charges are approximately ₹10,000–₹20,000.
Benefits include:
- Verified buyer leads (direct contact with buyers searching for your product)
- Priority listing (moderate visibility at the top when buyers search)
- Business verification (increases trustworthiness)
- Dedicated manager for higher-level subscriptions
- Lead tracking dashboard
- Mobile app access
Super Premium Subscription
This subscription is suitable for medium-sized enterprises.Annual charges ranging between 20000-45000
Benefits include:
- Verified buyer leads
- Priority listing
- Business verification
- Dedicated account manager
- Lead tracking dashboard
- Mobile app access for fast responses
Maxima Plan
This is ideal for large organizations, with subscription prices ranging from ₹80,000 to ₹2,00,000 (GST included).
Benefits include:
- Dedicated manager
- Branding support
- Maximum number of leads
- Highest product visibility

How to Get an IndiaMART Seller Subscription

Visit the IndiaMART seller registration form. (Insert link if needed)
Fill in the required details.
An IndiaMART representative will call you.
Plans and pricing will be discussed.
Make the payment via card or net banking.
Note: Refunds are generally not provided by IndiaMART.
A sales executive may negotiate with the seller regarding the plan.

click below to seller registration Link

https://www.indiamart.com/proddetail/create-seller-account-2849702433030.html?srsltid=AfmBOopU-8BQMRohpzvYJxZUFnKpXO1C7dVUcFT02phiBXm0o8XOWLAp

Documents Required for Paid Membership

PAN Card
GST Certificate
Business Registration Proof
Bank Details

Others Revenue Genration Ways¹–

IndiaMART generates most of its revenue from supplier subscriptions, where sellers pay for premium membership plans to get better visibility and more leads. In addition to subscriptions, IndiaMART offers advertisement and promotional services where suppliers can pay to place banner ads on IndiaMART pages, boosting their product exposure. Another source of income is the payment gateway fees, where IndiaMART charges a small fee for transactions completed through its “Pay with IndiaMART” service, facilitating easy and secure payments between buyers and sellers.india mart also recently started shipping the products ,

financials

india mart financials every specials when we talk about the reccession in 2020 to 2922 all the big firms in india faces the crisis but indiamart is rising like a Eagle and we seen increase in both the revenue and the profits from 2020 to 2021 india mart gained their YOY profit from 140 Cr to 280 Cr that give idea about how they where strong in B2B market place in Revenue in 2020 to 2021 they faces the increse 707 to 756 Cr but profits are increased significantly