Ever wondered how Amazon manages to work both within India and all around the world? Or how is it so different from other platforms? Amazon might feel like a mystery sometimes, but hey, I’m here to solve that mystery for you.
Amazon isn’t just a shopping site, it’s a whole universe for sellers. Whether you want to grow your business across your city, your country, or even globally, Amazon has built powerful paths to help you reach your goals. It bridges the gap between a small seller in India and a customer sitting in New York, Tokyo, or Delhi. It’s a world where individuals and businesses alike can reach new heights of success, whether it’s for professional growth or personal dreams.
And it’s not just for sellers. For buyers too, Amazon makes everything, from home décor to gadgets, just a click away. But behind this convenience is a smart system of services that support how products move, how payments are handled, and how sellers scale. Two of the biggest pillars in this system are Amazon Global Selling and Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) (domestic).
Let me break it down for you.
What is Amazon Global Selling
Amazon Global Selling is like opening your shop to the international marketplaces, without leaving your home. If you’re an Indian seller, this program lets you list your products on Amazon websites across the world, like in the US, UK, Japan, or Australia.
Amazon helps you with all the big things that usually make cross-border logistics tricky, like figuring out import/export regulations, handling customs duty, dealing with currency exchange, and even helping your product look right for each country with product localization (like local language, sizes, and formats). It also supports you with international shipping, so you don’t have to figure that out alone.
Basically, you focus on selling great products, and Amazon helps you get them to buyers across the globe.
What is Amazon FBA (Domestic)
Now, if you’re just looking to grow your business within India, Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is your best friend. Here’s how it works: you send your products to Amazon’s warehouse, and when a customer from anywhere in India places an order, Amazon packs it, ships it, and handles customer service too.
You don’t have to worry about shipping costs, delivery delays, or even returns. And since you’re not crossing borders, you don’t need to deal with currency exchange, customs duty, or international paperwork. It’s super simple and perfect for sellers who want fast and easy growth within the country.
In short, Amazon Global Selling is for taking your business international with all the tools to handle cross-border logistics, while Amazon FBA Domestic is for growing smoothly within India with Amazon doing the heavy lifting. Both are powerful in their own ways, you just choose where you want to go!
Amazon Global Selling vs. Domestic FBA
If you’re a seller in India, you have two amazing ways to grow your business using Amazon: Amazon Global Selling and Amazon FBA (Domestic). Both options make use of Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA), where Amazon helps handle your packaging, storage, delivery, and even customer service, but the difference lies in where you’re selling: across borders or within India.
Let’s break it down in a simple, friendly way.
Amazon Global Selling – Reaching Customers Around the World
Think of this like opening a virtual store in the USA, UK, Japan, or Australia, without leaving your city in India. With Amazon Global Selling, you can list your products on international marketplaces and sell to customers across the globe. Amazon helps you take care of the complex stuff like cross-border logistics, import/export regulations, currency exchange, customs duty, and even product localisation so that your listings make sense in the local language and format.
Example:
Let’s say you’re a seller from Jaipur making handmade cushion covers. With Amazon Global Selling, you can sell those covers to customers in New York or London. Amazon can store your products in its overseas warehouse through FBA, show your listing in English with US sizes and pricing, collect payment in dollars, convert it to INR, and even handle the return if the customer changes their mind. You focus on creating beautiful products, Amazon handles the rest.
Why it’s great:
- You reach a global customer base
- You build an international brand
- Amazon supports you with all the tough parts like shipping costs, regulations, and returns
- It opens up new revenue streams and long-term business growth
Amazon FBA (Domestic) – Growing Your Business Within India
Now, if your focus is on the Indian market, Amazon FBA (Domestic) is the way to go. You send your products to an Amazon warehouse in India, and they take care of the rest, from storing to packing to delivering to any location across the country. No need to worry about currency exchange, customs duty, or international shipping costs.
Example:
Imagine you’re a seller from Surat who sells fashion jewellery. You list your items on Amazon.in, send your stock to Amazon’s local warehouse, and when someone from Mumbai or Delhi places an order, Amazon delivers it quickly, often with Amazon Prime delivery. You don’t need to handle customer service, and your product gets the trust and visibility that comes with being “Fulfilled by Amazon.”
Why it’s great:
- You reach millions of Indian customers, especially Prime users
- Amazon handles storage, delivery, and support
- You avoid complex international logistics and focus on growing within India
- It’s cost-effective and ideal for fast-moving products in the local market
In Simple Terms: What’s the Difference?
| Feature | Amazon Global Selling | Amazon FBA (Domestic) |
|---|---|---|
| Target Market | International Customers | Indian Customers |
| Platform | Amazon.com, Amazon UK, etc. | Amazon.in |
| Logistics | Complex (cross-border shipping, international support) | Simple (Amazon handles all within India) |
| Fulfillment | Fulfillment by Amazon via global warehouses | Fulfillment by Amazon in Indian warehouses |
| Currency | Involves currency exchange (USD, GBP, etc.) | Payments in INR |
| Customs & Regulations | Requires handling import/export documentation | No international paperwork needed |
| Product Localization | Yes – adjusted for local language, size, and pricing | Not needed |
| Shipping Costs | Higher due to international delivery | Lower, domestic delivery within India |
| Custom Duties | Applicable – based on destination country rules | Not applicable |
| Brand Reach | Build a global brand | Strengthen your brand within India |
Story Time
Anika and Rajan’s Saree Story: From Tamil Nadu to the World with Amazon
Anika and Rajan lived in Kanchipuram, a small town in Tamil Nadu known for its beautiful silk sarees. They ran a small family shop, weaving and selling traditional sarees to customers who visited them in person. Business was good during the wedding season, but they always dreamed of something bigger. What if people across India or even the world could wear their sarees?
One day, Rajan came across Amazon FBA (Domestic) while browsing online. It looked simple: send sarees to Amazon’s warehouse, and Amazon would take care of packing, delivery, and customer support. They decided to give it a try.
They listed their sarees on Amazon, packed their first batch, and sent it to Amazon. In just a few weeks, orders started coming in, not just from Tamil Nadu, but from Delhi, Mumbai, and even Assam. Because they used Fulfilment by Amazon, their sarees got the Prime badge, which helped them sell more. They didn’t have to worry about shipping or returns, Amazon handled it all. Their brand was growing across India.
Then came a surprise. A customer from London messaged them: “Can you send this saree to the UK?” That’s when they discovered Amazon Global Selling. With Amazon’s help, they listed their sarees on international marketplaces like Amazon USA and the UK. They sent a few sarees to Amazon’s international warehouse, and soon, they were getting orders from customers in the US, Canada, Singapore, and more.
It wasn’t as hard as they thought. Amazon guided them through things like cross border logistics, import/export regulations, currency exchange, and customs duty. They didn’t have to figure everything out alone. Amazon even helped make their product pages ready for global buyers with proper product localisation.
Today, Anika and Rajan’s sarees are worn by women around the world. Their business runs from their home, but their brand has gone global. They now sell both in India and internationally, using a mix of Domestic FBA and Global Selling, and Amazon makes it all smooth.
Their advice? “Start small, trust the process, and let Amazon do the heavy lifting.”
Conclusion
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to scale your existing business, Amazon gives you two powerful ways to grow: Amazon FBA (Domestic) for selling within India and Amazon Global Selling for reaching international customers. Both options are built to simplify logistics, reduce stress, and help sellers focus on what they do best: creating great products.
With Amazon handling the heavy lifting, like fulfilment, shipping, returns, cross border logistics, customs, and even currency exchange, selling becomes more accessible than ever. From showcasing your brand on international marketplaces to building trust with local Prime customers, Amazon empowers you to grow faster and smarter.
You don’t need a big team or a global setup to get started. With the right product and Amazon’s ecosystem, you can take your brand from local to global, step by step. All it takes is the decision to begin.
Which One Should You Choose?
Ask yourself:
- Do I want to sell to customers in India or abroad?
- Is my product suited for global buyers and ready to handle shipping costs and regulations?
- Do I have the budget to invest in international logistics, or do I want to scale simply within India first?
Both models offer incredible growth opportunities. If you’re ready to go global and expand your brand, Amazon Global Selling is your ticket to the world. If you want to grow steadily and efficiently within India, Amazon FBA (Domestic) is your best starting point. With the power of Amazon behind you, whether domestic or global, your business can grow faster, smarter, and reach new heights.
Frequently Asked Questions
Global Selling helps you reach international customers on Amazon websites in other countries, while FBA Domestic focuses on selling to Indian customers through Amazon.in.
No. If you use Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA), Amazon takes care of packing, delivery, and customer service, both for domestic and international orders.
Not at all. Amazon provides guidance and tools to help you with setup, including help with import/export regulations, customs, and product localisation.
Amazon collects payments in the buyer’s currency and deposits the amount into your bank account in INR. It handles the currency exchange automatically.
Yes! You can sell locally with Amazon FBA in India and also list your products internationally through Amazon Global Selling. Many sellers successfully do both to maximise their reach.
