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It is not a legal requirement, but if you learn the market doesn't fit after incorporating, set-up and running costs are already spent. Samil PwC also notes that some firms discover local conditions late, and advises designing the business structure for Indian conditions.

What you will decide, and by when. Scope and depth change depending on whether you are heading toward an investment decision, a partner contract or an export test.

No. Stopping before you incorporate is the cheapest conclusion. 'Hold' and 'No-Go' are treated as normal research outcomes.

In a report citing the Korea International Trade Association, over 80% of Korean firms entered alone, while over 70% of Japanese entries were joint ventures (2024). Partners are described as helping with regulation, consumer insight and speed of entry.

At the 20 April 2026 summit, the two sides agreed to raise trade from about $25–27 billion to $50 billion by 2030 and to speed up CEPA upgrade talks (no deadline stated). Korea's exports to India in January–August 2026 were about $16.8 billion (+30.8%).

Bottom-up: customers × share able to buy × purchases per year × spend per purchase, cross-checked top-down against public statistics and industry data. We report it as bear, base and bull ranges.

Reports citing IMF estimates put India's 2026 nominal GDP at about $4.15–4.2 trillion, sixth (after the UK), while some sources list it fifth. It varies with exchange rates and methodology, so we cite the year and source.

Samil PwC puts it above 1.48 billion. The official census (Census 2027) is running in two phases from April 2026 to February 2027, so state-level figures must be updated once results come out.

In September 2026 UPI processed 24.07 billion transactions worth ₹29.37 lakh crore, about 800 million a day. Volume was up about 23% year on year.

Outlook Respawn reported Nykaa's Korean-brand GMV up 58% year on year, and cited a forecast (Jefferies) that K-beauty will grow from $400 million to $1.5 billion. These are second-hand figures, so check the primary data.

No. Assumptions can swing results several-fold, so we give bear, base and bull ranges. You can change the assumptions yourself in the calculator.

At least five across Indian brands, imported brands and substitutes, checking names, prices and sales channels. Looking at only one tier can set the price benchmark wrong.

We check list prices, actual discounted prices and in-store prices city by city. A brand site's list price alone can differ from the real selling price.

A report said that as of end-October 2024 India had 22 measures in force, including 19 anti-dumping and 3 safeguard measures. The latest status must be checked item by item.

Nongshim distributes 19 products through Blinkit in major cities, and Lotte Wellfood is cited as earning over $6.7 million via quick commerce.

It may. Upgrade talks have resumed, and no deadline has been disclosed. We recommend keeping two lines in your landed-price table: 'current tariff' and 'post-upgrade assumption'.

Delhi and Mumbai are described as favouring premium goods, Bengaluru and Chennai as IT hubs, and Kolkata as value-conscious. Treat these as hypotheses and verify on the ground.

India has 22 official languages. Start with English and consider adding the regional language of your first city. How much it matters varies by region.

A report citing Korea JoongAng Daily forecasts quick commerce growing from $8 billion to $50 billion by 2030. Fees and inventory structure differ by channel and must be checked separately.

At the August 2026 New Delhi event, 39 Korean companies and 41 Indian buyers held 450 meetings worth about $20 million. They are useful for widening your buyer pool, but do due diligence separately before any contract.

Yes, but check the DPDP Rules first. They were notified on 14 November 2025 and are phasing in over 12–18 months, so set consent, purpose, retention and erasure rules before the survey.

One report says 13–14% of GDP, against about 8% in developed economies. Include shipping and logistics in your landed-price calculation.

Lottery and gambling, chit funds, tobacco manufacturing and real estate (excluding commercial infrastructure) are listed as prohibited. First check which sector your business model belongs to.

The automatic route needs no prior approval; the government route is approved through the Foreign Investment Facilitation Portal.

Since the March 2026 amendment, up to 10% non-controlling beneficial ownership uses the automatic route, and designated manufacturing sectors (capital goods, electronic components and others) get a 60-day review. Above that, or with control, government approval is needed.

The 2019 summary was: single-brand retail 100% automatic, multi-brand 51% with approval, and e-commerce marketplace model only. Later amendments exist, so confirm current rules with legal counsel.

The DPDP Rules were notified on 14 November 2025 and the main obligations phase in over 12–18 months. Penalties of up to ₹250 crore per breach are set out.

A forced-labour import ban clause (2.20B) was added to the Foreign Trade Policy on 13 July 2026. No items are specified yet, but the government can notify them at any time.

It depends on the product group — BIS, FSSAI, CDSCO and so on. Reports say certification is often delayed, so build that into your sales schedule; you can check applicability on Adullam's certification platform.

82% of FDI goes to Maharashtra, Delhi, Karnataka, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh (including Telangana). But the right place for you should be judged on demand, cost and incentives.

Samil PwC notes that culture, administration and incentives differ greatly by state, making a headquarters strategy hard to apply as-is. We check policy for each candidate state separately.

Before the contract we check company registration, GST registration, office and warehouse visits, trade reputation and shareholder structure (any land-border capital). You can check a GSTIN with the ORVANO tool.

Term, territory, minimum purchase and termination terms are the key points. Contract review and JV agreement review are handled by Adullam's HR & legal service.

There is no fixed size. We recommend starting small and checking settlement and reorders, as in the case of the K-beauty company that reached a third repeat order locally.

It is quoted by scope. For reference, KOTRA's item-by-item research is 150,000 won per item (excluding VAT, per a Gwangju programme). The first consultation is free.

It varies by scope, but expect about 4–8 weeks for an entry feasibility review and about 3–5 weeks for market size or competitor & price research (examples).

KOTRA offers item-by-item research from six trade offices (New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Ahmedabad). A common mix is to frame the big picture with public data and have Adullam take over on-site price checks, partner due diligence and the link to incorporation.

Yes. If you decide to go, the same team picks up through the incorporation, certification, tax and HR platforms, working with the Seoul, New Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai offices.

By Adullam's records we supported market research for Daeil Industrial and Cellgen, and distribution and marketing entry for Korea Ginseng Corp., Urban Digital Marketing, Estarte and Kupcake Retail. We list only those who agreed to be named.