From startup to scale: Myntra’s zero-commission model is powering India’s next D2C wave

India’s direct-to-consumer (D2C) ecosystem is booming. Every year, hundreds of digital-first fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands are born, creative and connected to niche consumer communities. Built with sharp storytelling and social-first strategies, many of these made-in-India brands find early traction quickly. Scaling that success, however, is where the real challenge begins.

Most of them begin their journey on owned channels such as websites, social media shops, or social commerce platforms. These routes work well for testing ideas and building loyal audiences but the limitations surface as growth ambitions rise: Customer Acquisition Cost, discovery stalls beyond existing followers, demand fluctuates unpredictably, and operational infrastructure struggles to keep pace and more.

For many founders, entering a large marketplace seems like the obvious next step. But marketplace entry can be overwhelming for some. Commercial complexity and steep learning curves can drain both capital and focus at a stage when brands are still refining product-market fit and capital allocation. At the same time, without the right visibility levers, even strong products risk getting lost in the noise.

Myntra is addressing this gap with the launch of a zero-commission model under its Myntra Rising Stars (MRS) program, designed to help early-stage D2C brands move from an initial phase early stages to scale.

Smoothing out early-stage struggles

Eligible brands onboarding under the MRS zero commission program are not required to pay any commissions. Myntra simplifies the commercial construct by eliminating commission costs at the outset, enabling founders to redirect capital towards what matters most early on: brand building, customer acquisition and product-led growth.

This change has a compounding effect. Brands can opt for service-fee-based strategic account management, gaining access to Myntra’s brand-building expertise, performance insights and structured scaling support.

From Day 1, brands can tap into Myntra’s traffic, technology stack, and fulfillment infrastructure, which enables them to focus on kickstarting the growth flywheel.

Moving beyond owned channels

While social media and brand websites remain critical touchpoints, many D2C founders recognise that long-term growth requires expansion into marketplaces that offer expansive customer reach.

The zero-commission model by Myntra is designed to make that leap frictionless. It empowers brands to launch seamlessly on the platform, instantly access a large, fashion-forward consumer base and benefit from a shopping experience already trusted by millions. This becomes a crucial growth inflection point for brands looking to establish credibility and presence beyond owned channels.

Lowering the cost of growth

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) is one of the most critical challenges for D2C brands. Under the zero-commission model, the impact on CAC is significant. Brands significantly reduce effective acquisition costs by accessing Myntra’s large customer base, eliminating commission expenses and shifting spends toward platform-supported marketing and discovery.

Myntra further supports demand generation through conversion enablers such as coupons, bank offers and platform-led visibility. Together, these levers assist brands in acquiring customers efficiently, as they benefit from Myntra’s scale and expertise.

Scale as a growth multiplier

Myntra’s scale plays a defining role in how the program supports brands through their growth journey. With over 75 million monthly active users, coverage across 98% of serviceable pincodes in India, and strong logistics and fulfillment capabilities, the platform offers reach that only a few early-stage brands can build independently.

This scale is reinforced by Myntra’s game-changing speed proposition, M-Now offering deliveries starting 30 minutes. On the demand side, brands can build their brands through various assets on the platform, such as homepage and category placements, social-commerce-led discovery, and shoppable content formats such as Myntra Glamstream (an integrated shoppable entertainment proposition within the app).

These capabilities are bolstered by dashboards, reports, and insights that cover business metrics, marketing effectiveness, and platform trends that help brands make informed decisions as they scale. The zero-commission model, therefore, creates an environment where brands can experience structured scalability and predictability in what is often an uncertain growth phase. “We onboarded on Myntra in October 2025 through the Rising Brands program, and we’ve been truly overwhelmed by the response and the consistent support from the Myntra team as we began our marketplace journey. What stands out most is how thoughtfully the program is structured—it genuinely feels like a win-win for both brands and Myntra. The zero-commission model, makes it an incredibly enabling platform for emerging brands to scale with confidence while staying focused on building the right product” says, Narendra Sorathiya, Founder, Gopiprem

Proof from the festive-season pilot

The effectiveness of this model was validated during last year’s festive-season pilot with women’s ethnic wear brands. More than 200 brands benefitted from the model, with most scaling rapidly within a short span of time.

Smooth and simple onboarding processes along with foundational capability setups from Day 1, including cataloging, advertising account creation, and campaign execution, enabled brands to kickstart their growth flywheel immediately. End-to-end support across daily operations and financial reconciliation ensured that founders did not spend their time unravelling business complexities and could focus on building momentum. 

The results were striking. Within just three months (August-October 2025), participating brands recorded a notable growth, underscoring that the right infrastructure and environment can unlock rapid scale and overcome early barriers to growth. 

Building a long-term ecosystem

Myntra views the zero-commission model as a long-term ecosystem enabler to thousands of homegrown brands to kickstart their marketplace journeys.

Following the success of the festive pilot, Myntra officially launched the zero-commission model in January 2026 to include emerging made-in-India fashion, beauty, and lifestyle D2C brands. Through the model, the platform aims to support brands seeking to move beyond owned channels and establish a presence, at scale, early in their lifecycle.

Over time, this approach is expected to contribute to a more inclusive and resilient ecosystem: one where homegrown brands are nurtured, operational barriers are lowered, and sustainable growth becomes the standard.

"As the founder, I'm truly grateful to Myntra for introducing this zero-commission model, it has been a real game-changer for us. Removing the commission burden allowed us to redirect those funds directly into smarter advertising, reaching more customers who love our products. Since joining, we've seen a significant jump in sales volume and faster growth than we ever expected on our own channels”, says Meenaxi Himanshu Ladha, Founder, Sutriti

Through this model, Myntra isn’t just changing how brands sell. It’s reshaping how India’s next generation of D2C brands will grow, scale and succeed.