Morbi is known for ceramics and clocks, not ecommerce. I started selling on Amazon from a college room there, with no network and no template to copy. This is the timeline of how that grew into a business doing around Rs.3.5 crore a month — milestones rather than motivation.
The early years: learning by losing
The first products taught me what not to do. Cheap items, no research, unreliable suppliers. Each setback narrowed the problem until the pattern was obvious: weak products, propped up by effort.
The turning point: brand over bargain
Switching to higher-ticket, white-labelled products imported from China changed the economics completely. For the first time the products carried enough margin to fund growth instead of just survival.
Building the engine
Profit went back into more products, better photography, and people. A 35-person team now handles research, sourcing, operations and ads across 80+ live products. The business stopped depending on me being awake.
Giving it back
Teaching started almost by accident — people kept asking how. That became structured mentorship, and 15,000+ entrepreneurs have since built brands crossing Rs.160 crore in combined sales.
The throughline
No single lucky break. Just better product decisions, reinvested profit, and the patience to keep going from a place no one expected an Amazon business to come from.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did you start?
In a college room in Morbi, Gujarat, with no network and no blueprint.
What was the biggest turning point?
Moving from cheap commodity products to higher-ticket private-label brands imported from China.
How big is the business now?
Around Rs.3.5 crore a month, 80+ live products, and a 35-person team.
Can someone from a small town do this?
Yes. Location matters far less than product decisions, capital discipline and consistency.
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Ali Lokhandwala has sold on Amazon India for 7 years, runs 80+ live private-label products with a 35-person team generating Rs.3.5 crore a month, and has trained 15,000+ entrepreneurs whose brands have crossed Rs.160 crore in combined sales. He still runs his Amazon business daily.
